Captain Dragon
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Yang wasn't used to leadership, but she wasn't going to accept Ozpin's suggestion of mandatory rest either. Not when it meant losing her spot on Team RWBY. If she had to lead a rookie squad of police officers against the White Fang to prove she could still fight, then so be it. Too bad no one told her the VSPR was made up of Vale's worst criminals, many of which she knew by name.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the latest fic, to be updated every other week alongside Service with a Smile. It is an AU fic, as you'll soon find out, and focuses on someone other than Jaune for a change. Warnings ahead for foul language aplenty, though mostly from specific characters. Also, violence. There will be violence in this one.**

 **In terms of genre, there'll be a mix. It should be humorous at times however, even if it's not intended to be quite as slapstick as White Sheep.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

Yang stormed through the halls of Beacon Academy, head held high. Behind her, she could hear the stampeding set of feat which hinted at her team – her _ex-_ team's – pursuit. She didn't have the time for them. Not now. She ducked down a corridor and hid in an alcove, biting back her anger as they rushed past.

Frustrated tears replaced it, but she shook those away and staggered out into the gardens of Beacon. Her right arm itched, but she ignored it.

It wasn't there.

Phantom sensations, or so the doctor said. Sometimes it tingled, other times it would twitch, but it was cruellest when it itched because there was nothing she could do to relieve herself. She glared down at the stump with hate in her eyes. It was a constant reminder of her mistake, of the reckless stupidity that had cost her not only an arm, but so much more.

Most people didn't speak of the attack, though the news outlets still went on about it. The whole thing ended over two months ago when Pyrrha and Ozpin had combined forces to kill Cinder Fall in the basement of the school. They hadn't known about it up top, but Atlas managed to regain control of their airship, deactivate the Paladins, and even arrest Torchwick. From there, the attack was mopped up before it ever had a chance to begin.

There were consequences, of course. Atlas and Vale were on shaky ground since the former's robots had gone on a rampage, and the White Fang had fled into the city after their defeat. Anti-faunus sentiment was at an all-time high, and a lot of people had been injured or killed. All in all, it had been the shortest and bloodiest war of the last decade. It lasted less than four hours, but completely threw the Kingdom for a loop.

It also took her arm away. Her arm and now her career…

"Yang, there you are!" Ruby jogged up from behind with Weiss and Blake beside her. Yang didn't look, but she could hear their exhausted pants. "You ran off before we could catch you."

"Because I want to be alone…"

"But Yang, I-"

"But nothing!" Her eyes flashed red and she whirled on her sister with a furious expression. "You lied to me. All of you did. You told me things would be okay, but you knew that wasn't true!"

"Yang…"

"You knew Ozpin wouldn't let me back into Beacon!"

Ruby's face fell. "I-"

"I can't believe this. I can't believe you'd do that – after everything I did for you, after everything I gave up!" Her eyes flared red and she shook her head. "You sat at my bedside and told me everyone was looking forward to me coming back. You lied to my face!"

Ruby's eyes shimmered with tears, but Yang ignored them. Not this time. Ruby always cried when things went bad, and _she_ always folded. Tears couldn't fix this, though. Nothing could.

Blake stepped forward. "Yang, she didn't lie…"

"Like hell she didn't, Blake. I don't want to hear anything from you. I lost an arm because of your past, because I tried to help you! The least you could have done was be honest with me."

It was a low blow, and she knew it. Blake recoiled in horror and guilt, but that only fuelled her anger. Damn right, she should feel guilty. The arm was one thing, and a sacrifice she'd have made again if she had to. She'd never turn her back on her team.

Not like they had with her.

"He didn't bar you from becoming a huntress," Weiss argued. The heiress strode before her, and looked challengingly up into her furious eyes. "No one is saying you can't be what you want to be, Yang. It's just… you've lost an arm. Things are different."

"I'm still the same person!"

"That's precisely the problem! You can't have something like that happen to you and be the same. You need time to adjust, to get used to it, maybe even to find a new fighting style that suits you, or a bionic attachment or… or something. You can't just power through this like it doesn't matter." Weiss' face softened. "You need to let it heal and to get past it. That's going to take time… maybe a year, maybe two. The headmaster told us he'd be happy to let you apply again for another year, just… not this one."

Another year, when she was older, when they'd moved on. Yang's eyes clenched shut and her teeth ground together. How could they say that? How could they act like that was no big deal? She'd lose them, her friends, everything. The whole god-damned point of becoming a huntress in the first place was to keep Ruby safe, and now her little sister would be running off ahead of her.

That wasn't fair.

And the fact her _team_ had stood there silently while Ozpin decreed it had only hurt her all the more. All this time, in the months of her recovery, they'd been there for her, assuring her that things would be back to normal.

"W-What about what you said?" she hissed, eyes still shut. "You told me we'd go clubbing, Blake. You said we'd work on modifying Ember Celica, Ruby. Weiss… you told me you'd take me on a shopping spree once I was up."

The three of them shuffled awkwardly, no doubt wondering who should be the one to speak. In the end, it looked like they'd chosen Ruby.

"We can still do those things, Yang," she whispered. Ruby swallowed, clearly nervous. "It's just, it would be with you being a friend of the team… not a part of it."

The silence that was left behind deafened her. Yang struggled to breathe, but in her moment of quiet could hear the bated breath of all three of them. It hurt. It hurt more than anything else, more than a hot blade cutting through her arm. It hurt because it hit deeper, right in her heart.

"Yang…?"

"No." Her eyes opened, and she felt an immediate flash of anger at the hurt in Ruby's. What right did _she_ have to feel hurt? "No. No way, not a chance. Forget the promises, forget them. I guess every little thing you said to me was a lie, huh?"

"No, we-"

"When did you find out?" she demanded. "When did Ozpin make it clear I wouldn't be able to come back to Beacon? What was the date?"

Ruby's mouth opened and closed, but no words came forth. She turned to Weiss instead, knowing the heiress had a better memory, and that she wouldn't be so shocked she had to hide it. The other girl's face was calm.

"The first day," she whispered.

"The first day of what…?" Yang snapped.

"The first day after you were injured…"

Yang's eyes widened.

"Yang, I'm sorr-"

She cut them off with a throaty laugh. It was hoarse and bitter, just like her. "So that's it?" she asked, shoulders rising and falling. "You knew from the start. Even before I woke up, you knew I wouldn't be allowed back in. Everything was a lie." She pointed to Weiss, Blake, and finally to Ruby. "You all lied to my face."

"We didn't want to upset you-"

"BULLSHIT!" Yang roared. It was probably the first time she'd ever sworn at her little sister, and it showed in how Ruby's eyes widened and she _leapt_ backwards. Yang offered her no mercy, striding after her and continuing on until Ruby stumbled and fell. "You say you didn't want to hurt me, but you knew full well what would happen. You let me come here. You literally let me come all the way to Beacon, and then be _humiliated_ in front of the headmaster and Miss Goodwitch." Tears pricked at her eyes, but she wouldn't be stopped. "Do you have any idea what that was like!?"

Ruby's lip quivered. "I-I…"

"No, of course you don't." Yang stormed away, teeth bared. "There was hope at first, and excitement, too. I thought I was coming back and everything would be normal, then I had to stand there as Ozpin stared at me. He didn't know what to say either, I could tell. He probably thought you'd told me. I kept wondering why Miss Goodwitch looked at me with such pity, but I had no freaking idea. I'll tell you what it was like, Ruby. It was like your dreams breaking in front of your eyes. It's like having everything you know come crashing down around your ears."

"I didn't… Yang, we didn't know how to tell you…"

"And then, when I turned around to my team for support, to my friends, to my own damned sister…" Her hands shook, and she glared at them. "You all looked away! You left me to face it on my own, and didn't even bother to let me know, or speak out in my defence. I've never felt so alone in my life."

"We didn't know what to say," Blake finally cried. She threw one arm out, the other held to her chest. "Yang, we didn't _want_ to do that to you, but you were injured and recovering. The last thing you needed was us dropping bad news like that on you. I… I know it was wrong to keep it going, but we didn't know how to break the news to you." She looked away. "And then… and then it was too late, and we were cowards. I'm sorry, Yang. That was wrong of us, but please believe me when I say we had the best of intentions."

"You're damn right it was wrong," she snarled. "How many times did I stand behind you? I never doubted you, even when you revealed yourself to be White Fang and ran away. I did everything I could to find you, and this is how you repay me?"

Blake looked away. "I know I messed up…"

"Yeah, you did!" Yang growled. She wanted nothing more than to lash out, and their pained expressions weren't helping. They had no right to act like they were the victims. They'd abandoned her when she needed them most. "Forget it. I need some time to get over this, and looking at you three isn't helping."

"Yang, I-"

"No, Ruby!" The angry words drove the younger girl back. "No hugs, no words, and no acting like this doesn't mean something. It does. Just… leave me alone. Give me some time to think."

The three of them looked between one another awkwardly. Other students were staring at them now, but none dared approach. Most could probably tell what was going on, and she'd definitely been loud enough to hear. It hardly mattered. If it was going to be a year or two before she got back into Beacon, then they'd be mostly gone anyway. As would Team RWBY… as would everyone she'd ever known.

Hell, even if she got in, it would be as a first-year again. She'd be pushed onto a different team, and no doubt Team RWBY would get their own replacement. It wouldn't even be called that anymore. The last memories of her in Beacon would be rewritten with the tip of a ballpoint pen.

Weiss swallowed. "Very well, Yang. We… I can see that we've upset you. We'll give you some time. You know where to find us, and we'll always answer your calls. Even if you're not a part of the team anymore, you're still our best friend." Yang snorted at that. "If you need anything from us-"

"Then I'll find someone else," she said, pushing past.

None of them followed, but she heard Ruby sniffling as she stormed away. The tears burned at her eyes, too. She refused to let them fall. Only when she was out of their sight did she let them, and she ducked into a bathroom before anyone could see her weakness.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it all to hell!_

Yang's fist impacted the tiled wall, cracking the white material and sending a tiny rain of dust down to the floor. Her breath came out in harsh pants, her face soaked from the water she'd splashed against it. Eyes rimmed with red from tears stared at the damage she'd done.

"I can still hit like a truck. I can still fight. Why are they doing this to me?"

Sure, her style needed work – she knew that. What better place to learn than a school, though? It wasn't like she expected to be sent out into the field instantly, but she could at least train and get better with her team. This was ridiculous, and it left her adrift.

What was she even supposed to do with so much free time?

"This is stupid," she hissed. "This is ridiculous. I can still fight."

Maybe she needed to show them that. Maybe she needed to prove it. Yang stormed out of the bathroom and away. No one dared meet her eye.

/-/

Ozpin looked up from his desk as she entered. There was no sign of impatience, or of sympathy or pity, and she was grateful for that. He placed the papers he was signing down, gestured with one hand to the chair on the opposite side of the desk, and picked up his mug with the other.

"Welcome back. Would you care for a drink?"

"Uh, water if you have it, sir." Her anger fled as it often did around him. He was too calm to get angry at, and she awkwardly made her way over to sit down, accepting the glass of water he offered with her hand. "Thanks."

"You look like you have had a difficult day, Miss Xiao-Long."

"You can call me Yang," she said. "And yeah, you could say that. I guess I was caught off-guard."

"I saw, and for that I apologise. It was not my intent to upset you, and I'll admit I didn't expect it." He offered her a grandfatherly smile that looked out of place with how ageless he seemed. Even so, she appreciated the friendly look for what it was. "I was led to believe your team had told you my decision already. I see now that they didn't, and I apologise for being so… direct. I could have handled that better." He nodded to her. "I'm sorry, Yang."

"You didn't know, sir. You don't need to apologise." Her eyes flashed angrily. "They should have told me!"

"Yes, your team should have, but please don't hold it against them. People make mistakes. I have made more than you can ever imagine." Ozpin rose from his seat and moved over to face the window. "I have a feeling I know why you are here. I'm sorry, but I will not change my decision."

The glass in her hand cracked. "Why…?"

"Because in those mistakes I have made, I've also learned things. I have no doubt you saw General Ironwood during the invasion, and his cybernetic augmentations."

Oh, she'd seen them alright. Yang shivered and clutched the stump of her arm. Taiyang had suggested something similar for her, but the thought still frightened her. It would mean surgery, and needles and such being dug into her arm – a tool and a weapon being forged into her very flesh. "I saw it…" she whispered, hoping he wouldn't suggest the same for her.

"James lost his arm partly because of a mistake I made. Not wholly, and we were both to blame, but I was at least partly responsible." Ozpin sipped from his mug and looked over his shoulder to her. "He was the General of the Atlas military at the time as well, but even he took a year off work in order to recover and re-learn himself."

Yang glowered at the floor.

"There's no weakness in being injured, and nothing to be ashamed of. When our leg is broken, we must rest until it is strong enough for us to walk again."

"I can fight, sir. I'm not broken."

"No, you are not," he said. "You are injured, and that is a crucial difference. With enough time and training, you might learn to account for your injury, and when you do, you will come back all the stronger." He sat back down and levelled his eyes on hers. "However, until such a time as you have been allowed to heal both physically and mentally, and until you have trained to fight with your disability, I cannot accept you back into Beacon. I'm sorry."

And that was it, wasn't it? Yang's anger surged, but she bit down on it, knowing it would be no use against him, and that nothing he'd said was technically wrong. It wasn't his fault. Ozpin hadn't lied to her, nor misled her. Not like her team had.

"Please," she begged. "Give me a chance…"

"Miss Xiao-Long-"

"I'm not saying take me back, but give me a chance to prove myself capable." Yang stood and stared into his eyes. "A test, a fight, something. I can do this, I swear – but you can't dismiss me without even letting me try! Please, I… I just want a chance to prove myself."

Ozpin tapped his fingers on the desk. He watched her with an emotionless gaze.

"And if you were to fail this test, you would accept my decision?"

Her eyes widened. He was going to agree…? She'd thrown the idea out in desperation, but she'd never expected him to consider it. Yang's head bobbed up and down furiously. "Yes, I promise. Just give me a chance and I'll prove it." She grinned. "I'll prove I'm still up for the fight!"

Ozpin hummed and leaned back, opening a drawer on his desk. He rummaged around in it for a moment, before he pulled forth a manila folder and let it fall atop his desk.

Yang watched it warily, waiting for his task.

"It would not do to have you face anyone in combat. I cannot accurately gauge whether you have recovered enough or not based on a single fight, and some might take it easy on you due to your injury. On the other hand, some might have been too much for you to defeat even if you were at your best, and thus would not make for a fair impression." He paused. "You said you are ready to fight, no?"

"Yes, absolutely!"

"How do you feel about continuing the fight against the White Fang?"

Yang's eyes flashed red. Her hand, which had settled on the edge of the desk, gripped tight, causing the wood to crack and fracture. The White Fang… Adam… her breath came out in a harsh snarl.

"I see that the name evokes a response," Ozpin said politely, ignoring her accidental vandalism. "As you may or may not know, the White Fang fled into the city after their defeat at our hands. While the attack was certainly quashed, many of them remain at large, and are using the rising anti-faunus sentiment to bolster their numbers. We are worried that this matter is not yet solved, and after the recent events, the Council are desperate to do what they can to protect the people. Vale has been harmed, but we shall not be harmed again."

"You want me to hunt them down?"

"To a degree…" Ozpin pushed the folder across the desk. Yang picked it up and opened it, but didn't really bother to read through it. "A lot of people were injured in the attack, but you may not have realised that over three quarters of those were in the emergency services."

Yang winced. "Damn…"

"They did their jobs to protect the people, and the State will care for them and provide for everything they might need – medical or otherwise. That said our hospitals are still at maximum capacity, and our police forces at a minimum. This is not a good time to have rogue elements of the White Fang running around, especially if Adam Taurus is still nearby to organise them. The White Fang are more dangerous than the average criminal, but less dangerous than the Grimm, at least in this state. With negativity so high, our huntsmen and huntresses are already stretched protecting our borders. I can't afford to bring them back, but the consequences of them being allowed to act unimpeded could be devastating. The city is very much a cauldron of problems at the moment."

And that's where she came in…? Yang tried to hide her panic, but it was hard. She was only one girl, and if Adam was still around, he'd kill her. Even so, she couldn't show that fear. If this was what was required of her, she'd do it.

"The Council had to move fast, and I'll admit that I aided them with more desperation than I should have shown." He nodded to the folder. "We collected individuals of a specialist skillset and formed a new paramilitary police force designed to hunt down and deal with the White Fang, and any other terrorist elements deemed _too hostile_ for the average officer. This was to be the Vale Special Police and Recon unit."

"The VSPR," Yang whispered, running her fingers over the four letters embossed on the front cover. Above it was the image of a bird in flight with a set of scales hanging from its beak.

"The VSPR was created for that purpose, but they have… struggled of late," Ozpin admitted. "What they certainly have in the quality of their staff, they lack in a leader. Originally, we placed someone from the police force in charge, but he was unable to adapt to the demands of the position. We tried again, but the second Captain also quit, citing that she struggled to form a working relationship with the other members of the task force. Both were civilian officers, which I believe was our mistake."

Yang nodded, but kept silent. It wasn't something that was advertised all too often, but she knew that it was difficult for huntsmen and non-huntsmen to work together. It hadn't really happened to her, but it was just why so many in the business formed relationships, and even married, other huntsmen and huntresses. Whether it was fear over people who were practically super-human compared to you, or just the stress of the work being incompatible, most civilians didn't mix well with them. It was never cruel, not like it could be with the faunus. It was more like you'd smile and talk to the neighbours, but you'd never be invited to their birthdays, and they never expected you to invite them to yours. It was as though you lived in a different world, but shared the same space.

Dad had lived in Patch for twenty years now, and while everyone was cool around him, he'd made sure to point out that it hadn't always been that way. There was a reason their house was out in the forest on its own.

"I guess you need a huntsman or huntress for it, to be honest," she said. "I mean, the people working for it are huntsmen, right?"

"In a way..." Ozpin hesitated. "They certainly have huntsman training, and their auras are unlocked. I fear you are right, however. It was probably hard for them to take orders from someone so much weaker than they, especially when it was against people the previous Captains had never fought and might even struggle with. The police often don't like huntsmen interfering in delicate investigations, and huntsmen are less than pleased when the police bring bureaucracy and regulation into our affairs." He shrugged. "It was always going to be awkward. That's where I think you could come in…"

She wasn't dumb. She could put two and two together.

"You want me to work with the VSPR, don't you?"

"No. I want you to lead them."

Yang's eyes almost fell out of her head. What the-? Sure, she'd asked for a test, but run a police force… that seemed a little beyond her ability. She was only a student. "Isn't this a bit much?" she asked. "I don't know anything about leadership, and how long would this test even take?"

"Hm, I was thinking six months," Ozpin said.

"Six months! But that's too long."

"Hear me out, Yang. I understand you want a faster solution to your current problem, but I shall sweeten the deal. All I ask from you is that you lead the VSPR for six months successfully, and that you help it bring in good results." Ozpin smiled. "If you achieve that, I'll not only allow you back into Beacon, but I shall push you up to the second year – allowing you to re-join Team RWBY."

The complaints she'd formed died in her mouth. He'd… he'd let the team come back together? She bit her lip, uncertain what she thought of that. Right now, she didn't want to even talk to them, but she knew that wouldn't be the same in half a year. Hell, she'd cool down in a few days – depending on how fast those three apologised and grovelled at her feet. Six months would be about how long the school year was, too, which meant she'd come in right at the beginning of next year.

"I'd be able to go back on the team?" she asked. "You promise?"

"I would not lie to you. However, should you falter or decide you cannot do this, you must accept my decision to withhold you from Beacon until at least twelve months has passed. This is the chance you asked for. I will not give you another."

Yang swallowed, but there was an undercurrent of excitement running through her now. She had a chance, and more than that she had a direction. Her eyes lit up and she slapped the folder shut in her lap.

"I'll do it. I'll turn them into the best fighting force they can be, and I'll prove that I'm strong enough to be a huntress."

"I hope you will, Yang. No, I believe the correct term would be Captain Yang Xiao-Long." Ozpin pushed a sheet of paper across the table. "I will need you to sign this form in agreement. It also mentions how should you fail, resign or be removed from your post, that you will accept my decision for your recovery. You might like to read throu-"

"Nah, that's fine." Yang checked it over briefly, and once she was happy with it, signed her name at the bottom. With a grin, she stood up, knocking her chair back. "I'll prove I can do this, Ozpin. Keep that spot on Team RWBY open for me. I'm coming for it." Yang marched to the elevator, a wide smile on her face.

She'd do it.

She'd prove them all wrong.

Headmaster Ozpin watched her leave, and then watched the door click shut. With a sigh, he placed down his mug, and then removed his glasses, to rub at the bridge of his nose. "This is for the best," he told himself, voice tired. "She will come to understand that in time."

It never made it any easier.

/-/

Yang could hardly believe her luck, even as the Bullhead landed in Vale, and she took a taxi in the vague direction of her destination. Being in charge of a police unit, and some kind of specialist one at that? It was insane. It was way too much of a shift for someone like her, and she'd admit to a little bit of nervousness, but it excited her at the same time.

"Fighting against enemies too strong for normal police, but too weak for huntsmen," she whispered, reading over the basic idea once more in the folder Ozpin had provided. Sure, the suggestion she wasn't good enough to be a _real_ huntress rankled, but it wasn't like the other members of her team would be fighting those kinds of people, either. This was just to prove she'd be good enough, and it was enough that she had the chance at all.

 _He could have sent me off on some other kind of task. At least here I still get to have a go at the White Fang. Who knows, maybe I'll find the bastard who took my arm._

The thought filled her with equal parts fear and anger, and she tried not to dwell on it. She hadn't been good enough with two arms, so she very much things would be any better with one. Still, she'd find him one day. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but when she was strong enough, he would fall. In the meanwhile, she could just feel pleased at taking out some of his other operations.

Her scroll beeped, and Yang fished it out idly, struggling with her single hand as she laid the folder in her lap. It was a message from Ruby, and for a moment she considered not opening it. She'd sent them all a message explaining what was going on, but she hadn't spoken to them in person. Didn't see the point, really, since all they'd do is be horrified at the idea of her fighting in her condition.

As expected, the message was a response to her one earlier. Less expected was the tone.

 _Hey Yang._

 _That's great! I bet you'll be amazing as a Captain. Make us proud, and I bet everything will be back to normal before you know it. We're rooting for you._

 _x_

 _Ruby, Blake and Weiss._

"Huh, that's weird." Yang rolled the message down with her thumb, but there was nothing more. Why was her team suddenly being so supportive, when they'd been so against the idea of her trying to be a student less than an hour before? It wasn't like this work was any less dangerous. In fact, it would be more so, especially with one arm. Why the sudden shift?

Something was up there, but she didn't have the time to think about it.

"We're here, Miss," the taxi-driver called.

Yang nodded and climbed out, tossing him some lien and a little extra as a tip. At any other time she'd have ridden on her motorbike, but that was out of the question now. Just another thing she'd lost. She shook her head, dispelling the melancholy, and looked at the building which housed the VSPR.

It was a large, walled compound in a uniform light grey colour. There was a high wall with a metal gate, behind which lay a few vehicles and a garage entrance. There were several vehicles inside, some unmarked, and others the same colour as typical squad cars. To the side of that, the main building was fairly functional and not in the best of shape. It had a set of steps leading up to a main entrance which was mostly glass, and then some blank walls with small windows beside it. Several of those were smashed, but the loose glass had all been cleared up.

"I guess they've not had time to repair anything…" Yang checked the folder just to make sure it was the right place, since there wasn't any signage on the outside.

Maybe they hadn't had the time to clean up or put signs up, not if they were only a month or so old and they'd been busy tracking down the White Fang. Sure, the place wasn't as snazzy as what she'd expected, but it made sense. Other police departments had been around for a lot longer, while this building could have been an abandoned office block before the VSPR took over. The signage was just something she'd have to get fixed, since how could people come to deliver evidence or info on the White Fang, if they didn't even know where they were meant to take it? Yang shook her head and walked calmly up the steps, only to hesitate at the door.

She looked down at herself. She didn't exactly cut the image of a police officer, let alone a Captain – and she was probably going to be in charge of people older than she was. She sighed, suddenly aware of just how rough she looked in her dark-grey cargo pants and brown jacket. There would be a uniform somewhere inside for her, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be the right size. She'd only been in the job for a day, after all.

 _What am I getting so worked up about? These guys probably know I'm coming, and that I can't possible have a uniform. I just need to make a good first impression. If they see me hovering outside here like a nervous schoolgirl, I'll never live it down._

And she might not earn their respect either, which would be worse. Yang took a deep breath and let it go, eyes hardening. One arm or not, she was still Yang Xiao-Long, and she'd be _damned_ if she was going to be scared away by a glass door. Her hand lashed out, grasping the bronze handle, and she pushed it open.

 _I need to be confident, calm, and in control. Ozpin put me here as a test. I've got to show him I've got what it takes._ So thinking, Yang strode through the door with a cocky grin on her face, and even managed to hold it when there wasn't a single person to greet her, nor even anyone behind the receptionist's desk. She could hear people a little deeper inside, along with what sounded like a television. She waited in the entranceway for a few seconds, and then cursed herself silently.

Why was she waiting here like she didn't have permission to enter on her own? This whole building was pretty much under her control now. With a nervous laugh, she stepped deeper in, pushing open another glass door and stepping into what looked like a common room of sorts. There were several couches, some with uniform jackets slung over the back, but it was the three figures slouched on one that caught her attention.

They were watching the television, though not – she noticed – the local news or anything else related to their work.

They were watching a game show.

 _Okay, work ethic looks a little low, but what do I know? Maybe these guys are on their breaks. Either way, this is a good chance to introduce myself and make an impression._ Yang stepped towards them, intent on catching them off-guard from behind. Sadly, it wasn't to be – for right as she was about to announce herself, there was the sound of a hand-dryer going off, and a door to a nearby bathroom opened.

"Oh, are you our new Captain?" a male voice asked. "I heard we were getting one today."

Ah crud, she'd been spotted. The other three turned to look her way, but Yang spun around before she could, at least determined to introduce herself to this guy and take control. "That's me," she said. "Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon put me in charge of… YOU!"

"Huh?" The guy blinked back at her, about her age or maybe a little older, with grey eyes and silver hair. The cocky smirk the bastard always wore was quickly replaced by panic, and he held his hands up to try and placate her. "Oh shit, it's you!" Mercury Black yelped. "Wait, wait, it's not what you thin-"

He didn't get any further on account of the fist that rocketed into his jaw. Whatever one might say about her only having one arm, it didn't do much to weaken her punches. Mercury sailed back, crashing into and over the receptionist's desk, with only his robotic legs showing.

He groaned pitifully.

"Huh, why did you hit Merc?" one of the others asked.

Yang spun on them, eyes wide. Melanie and Miltia Malachite, and beside them, Hei "Junior" Xiong. Three people, four including Mercury, who had not only worked with Torchwick and Cinder, but also been convicted and sentenced alongside them. All of them were in jail, or so she'd been led to believe. She staggered back, eyes wide.

"W-What the hell is this?" she yelled. "What are you doing here? Where is the VSPR!?"

Junior coughed awkwardly.

"We _are_ the VSPR." he said, wincing. "Uh, surprise?"

* * *

 **So, here is the next fic, and one not focused on Jaune for a change. Just a quick note here to draw attention to the AU nature of this in the sense that Cinder lost, and Beacon didn't fall. This is important because it means that a lot of the S4 reasons for Yang's trauma aren't present. Yes, she did lose her arm, but she didn't lose Blake and Ruby – which would have been key factors in her S4 misery. As such, while she** _ **will**_ **show some similarities with the Yang from that season, it won't be the same. It will be something in between S3 Yang and S4 Yang.**

 **On the VSPR, what it does and it's members, more will be revealed next chapter.**

 **On Team RWBY, yes, they are arguing at the moment, but I tried to make the reasons "why" clear. RWB were worried the truth would push Yang into a depression and make her recovery worse, and then got trapped in the white lie, unsure how to break it. This isn't a fic about bashing people. They're apologetic, but Yang is just too angry at the moment to hear it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's another chapter of Captain Dragon. To note a few questions, yeah, this was kind of inspired a little by suicide squad. I've never actually seen it, and the inspiration was more in the fact that this originally had an OC cast of officers, but then I thought the idea of criminals would work better.**

 **So yeah, credit where it's due on that one. Otherwise this would have been Yang in an OC-filled fic.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

Yang slammed the door of the Captain's office shut, and locked the deadbolt after a second's thought. Her back pressed against it, breasts rising and falling as she took in huge gulps of air. Calm, she had to remain calm. There was probably a good reason those four were here, the kind of reason that explained why four convicted criminals were in her common room, as opposed to a cell. Just because she couldn't see it didn't mean there wasn't one, right? Maybe they'd broken out and come here. No wait, that wasn't a good reason – not at all.

The folder she'd carried along hit the wooden desk – her desk – and flopped across it. It was a heavy and solid thing not unlike the desk Ozpin sat behind, with a leather-bound chair that looked rather comfortable behind it. With the door firmly locked, she staggered over and sat down in it. The leather gave way beneath her, but didn't do much for her mounting panic.

"Ozpin will know," she whispered, fishing out her scroll and calling his number. He'd provided it should she need anything, and though she'd boasted that she wouldn't, this was a little beyond what she'd expected! "Come on," she whispered, "answer already!"

The scroll clicked.

" _Miss Xiao-Long?"_

"Ozpin, we have a big problem!" she gasped. "There are four criminals here right now, and no sign of the VSPR. I don't know what's happened to them, but Mercury Black, Hei Xiong, and Melanie and Miltia Malachite are out of jail and here right now!"

" _I'm pleased to hear it. They should not be shirking their responsibilities."_

"Excuse me…?"

" _Their responsibilities,"_ he repeated. _"Miss Xiao-Long, you did read the information I provided you, correct?"_

"Uh…" Yang looked at the thick folder on her desk. She'd skimmed it, but there hadn't exactly been any time to read through it all. She'd come straight from his office to here, after all. "I haven't had a chance yet, sir. I'll be going over it in a moment, but I thought this was important enough to report."

" _Ah, I see the confusion now."_ Ozpin chuckled _. "Allow me to explain the situation a little better. It ought to save you some time. The VSPR is a new paramilitary police unit, and like I said, it's made up to face against people more dangerous than what the average police officer can handle. As such, we needed applicants who have a certain degree of combat experience. Huntsmen and huntresses are already needed to deal with the rising threat of Grimm, so our pool of potential recruits was rather low. Like I said before, we made decisions that on hindsight might have been a little too desperate."_

"You chose criminals?" Yang gasped. She froze and held a hand over the scroll, then leaned in close and hissed. "Why them? They worked with Cinder. They were partly responsible for all of the horrible things which happened!"

" _I agree, but our options were limited."_ Ozpin sighed. _"The idea was not mine, but I did agree to it, mostly because I was distracted by other matters. The Council's thoughts in this were fairly straight forward. Those four were but minor players in events, and all showed a lack of any real loyalty towards Cinder and her methods. They were in it for their own reasons, and were quick to renounce her when pressed."_

"I would be too, if it was a get out of jail free card," Yang said sarcastically. "Ozpin, they can't be trusted."

" _They can be trusted to do what is best for themselves and nothing more. They have been offered their freedom if they aid in dealing with the White Fang, and the remnants of Cinder's organisation. With no other options available to them, they agreed – and it was our hope that their inside knowledge of working with Cinder Fall would give them an advantage. At the very least, they serve the Kingdom more in this role than they do in a cell."_

Their freedom…? Yang balked at the idea, especially since she'd seen what Mercury was capable of. The others hadn't been quite so obvious about it, but Junior and his gang had worked with Torchwick in the dust robberies, which meant he and the Malachites had been directly responsible for gathering the dust the White Fang used to launch their attacks with. They were all of them criminals, and all of them involved in the loss of her arm, at least in one way or another.

"I can't do this, Ozpin," she said. "This is too much. You're asking me to work with monsters!"

" _I understand that, Yang. If you want, I can free you of the responsibility. The paperwork has not yet gone through."_

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, that sounds good."

" _Of course, this `will` mean you won't be returning to Beacon for at least twelve months."_

The agreement, the contract! Yang's eyes widened as she realised what it would mean, and she shook her head wildly. "No, no, no, I changed my mind."

" _Hm?"_

"I can do this," she backtracked. "I'm fine with it. I just wasn't sure what was going on, that's all."

" _Are you sure? You sounded upset at the idea a moment ago."_

"Upset doesn't mean unwilling. I still think it's a bad idea, but that's part of the test." She laughed nervously, all the while cursing inside her head. That had been close. If Ozpin hadn't dropped that little reminder, she'd have failed this before she even started. "I just need to lead them for six months, right?"

" _Six months,"_ he agreed. _"Of course, that is assuming you lead them well within that period. The Council expects results from this, and will be watching the VSPR's progress."_

"What kinds of results?"

" _Only signs that you are fulfilling your charter. There are more details in the folder, but it essentially means you need to show some success at putting the White Fang behind bars."_

Okay, nothing too special, then. Yang let out a quick sigh and slumped back into her seat. This was… well frankly, it was still ridiculous, but it was a ridiculousness she'd need to get used to. "Got it," she said. "All right, thanks for the help, sir."

" _No problem, Captain Xiao-Long. I wish you luck."_

"Yeah," Yang said, ending the call and putting the scroll down. "I'll need it." She let out a long sigh and reached for the folder on her desk. Book work had never been her strongest suit. It was more of Weiss' thing. Still, she had to get started sooner or later.

/-/

It took an hour and a half to read through everything, and by the time she'd finished, Yang was equal parts amazed and annoyed. There were also several plastic cups on her desk, and the bubbling water cooler behind her was now missing a quarter of its contents. Honestly, she wished it could have been filled with booze.

The VSPR was a stupid idea.

Use criminals to catch criminals, or some such nonsense, except that they wanted to use some of the most dangerous crooks to catch slightly _less_ dangerous ones. Oh, there were notes on how the members were all tagged in one way or another and wouldn't be able to leave Vale, but that didn't stop them vanishing off somewhere or causing mischief. It just meant they'd need to be tracked down when they did. The fact that they could earn their freedom at the end of it was just another dagger in her back. These guys had attacked Beacon, and now they were going to go free? That was bullshit!

She growled and grabbed another cup of water, downing it like hard liquor. _Okay, I need to think this through. Whether I like it or not, I'm stuck with this. I need to beat this test so I can go back to Beacon._

That meant making the whole thing work, which meant getting along with her new… teammates. Ugh, even the word tasted foul. It didn't have to mean anything, though. They could work together without being friends, and it was only for six months. After that, Ozpin could find someone else to run them, or disband them altogether. It was his choice, really.

She closed the folder and let out a relieved sigh. There was plenty more within it, both in terms of what they were expected to do – respond to, locate and identify hostile threats – and what resources they would have. It even contained information on what they were and weren't allowed to do, which mostly dealt with making sure their work didn't clash with the work of the other police forces. Essentially, if it was White Fang or anyone with aura, then it was their job. Anything else was work left for the actual police, and that was probably only included in the first place because no one trusted these guys to do a decent job.

That would have to change…

It took her a few minutes to gather the confidence necessary to step outside and face them. It was hard not to remember how she'd decked Mercury, or how she'd run away like a frightened child. She dithered a few times in front of the door, reaching for it and then snapping her hand back. Eventually, she took a deep breath and forced herself to act.

They were still in the common room, and still arrayed out on the large couch that curled around a coffee table. The TV was on, but instead of a show, they were now playing a fighting game on a console. Mercury hammered buttons furiously, but was being beaten by Melanie, the twin in white, with ease.

Yang walked up behind them and cleared her throat. "Ahem…"

"You call that fighting?" Miltia heckled, insulting Mercury and aiding her sister at the same time. "I've seen toddlers do better. Oh look, another combo – bad luck, Merc. Hey, don't spam the same move over and over, that's lame."

"Then tell your sister not to do the exact same!"

"You know, it's no wonder Cinder never banged you. No one likes a sore loser."

"Ahem!" Yang repeated, louder.

"I've never had problems with the girls before. I think I'll be fine."

"Oh yeah, sure… I totally believe that."

"Now Miltia, be nice," Melanie teased. "Some people have very specific fetishes, and if Mercury wants to appeal to those who like amputees and prosthetics, then that is his choice."

Miltia snorted. "I guess it takes all types."

"What, I don't-" Mercury growled and turned to the twins, only for the game to sound out a special move a second later. His eyes widened as his head snapped back in time to see his character bounced off the wall in some overly dramatized killing move. "Son of a bitch," he snarled. "You cheated!"

"Sore loser~" both of the Malachites sang in unison.

"Ahem!"

"Another round," Mercury growled. "Go another and I'll put you down once and for all."

"Maybe another time," Melanie yawned. "I'm bored of this."

"It's hard when there's no challenge."

"You said it, Miltia."

Yang's already stretched temper frayed just a little. They had to have heard her by now, which meant they were ignoring her. With a growl, she stomped one foot and cleared her raised her voice. "AHEM!"

The four of them turned to look at her, Junior bemused, Mercury vaguely nervous, and the two sisters absolutely uncaring. "Oh, it's _you_ …" Miltia said. "Weren't you busy hiding in your office or something?"

"I had a call to make."

"Sure you did…" Miltia's smirk grew wider. "You ran off like your ass was on fire when Junior told you we were the VSPR. What's wrong, we're not what you expected?"

"Not in the slightest." Yang growled. "Still, what's done is done. Why are you all sat here and not working? Shouldn't you be out stopping crimes or something?"

"We are. See, right now we're working on the `or something` part. Doing a really good job of it, too."

Yang's fist itched. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirks off their faces. She could, she'd done it before and with all their allies around to help them. Then again, she'd had two arms back then, not to mention the circumstances had been different. If she got into a fight now, there was no telling the other two wouldn't get involved – or what Ozpin would say when he found out. He might even class it as a failure on her part and end this test prematurely.

"I don't think you understand who you're talking to…"

"Oh, of course…" Miltia rolled her eyes. "What was it you said to Junior – we had to call you `sir`, right?"

"That's a little more literal now. I'm your new captain."

The words had the effect she desired, namely shocking the four of them into silence. Miltia's mouth opened and closed but nothing came out, while Junior palmed his face and sighed.

"So yeah, you can call me `sir`, `Captain`, or any variation on that," she continued. "I've been put in charge by Ozpin for the next six months. Once that's over, we'll all go our merry ways, so the least we can do is work together until then. Got it?"

"Heh…"

Yang's eyes narrowed as Miltia began to chuckle. It soon turned into an all-out laugh that had her bent double on the couch. "What's so funny?"

"For the next six months, huh? Oh, that's great…" She wiped a finger under her eye and flicked a tear away. "Yeah, no… sorry Blondie, but I'm not taking orders from a cripple." She picked up one of the controllers and turned away from Yang entirely. "Good luck and everything."

"What the hell's your problem?"

Miltia shrugged.

"And the rest of you…?" Yang asked, looking to the others. Mercury glanced away, while Melanie had already grabbed the other controller and was now playing against her sister. Junior kept eye contact, but he was the only one. "You're joking," she snapped. "You guys _do_ realise this is your only chance at freedom, right? How many people do you think get a chance like this?"

"Some chance…" Melanie whispered.

"Vale can suck on it," Miltia added, "Ozpin, too."

"Not much point," Mercury echoed. "Rather play games, to be honest."

"You arrogant…" Yang bit her lip before she could continue. What would be the point? None of them were listening. She took a deep breath and let it go, then turned on her heel and stomped away. What was wrong with those idiots? Did they seriously not realise they'd get sent back to jail if they didn't co-operate? Sure, they were criminals, and being forced to do this, but were they really going to give up their freedom just to prove a point?

That was ridiculous!

 _What am I supposed to do?_ Yang asked herself as she slammed the door to her office shut. _I need to do this for six months, but they already hate me. Do I need to prove myself to them or something? Maybe they're just being bastards to test me…_

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called, and cursed a second later when she realised she was stood in the middle of the room. She quickly skipped behind her desk and sat down, imitating a pose she'd seen Ozpin use before.

It didn't look very impressive with only one arm, and with her desk an absolute mess, but it was the best she had. If this was the sisters coming to apologise, she'd _milk_ it. Sadly, it wasn't. Junior stepped in and closed the door behind him, then made his way over to the desk and sat down opposite her.

"Something you want to say?" she asked.

He sighed and scratched his chin with one hand. It looked like he hadn't shaved for a few days, and his beard was getting a little out of control. "Felt I should come and apologise over those two," he said.

"Wouldn't it be better for them to do that?"

"Those two don't apologise; not for anything. Even if they regret something, they'll bluster and boast their way into your forgiveness rather than admit they were wrong." He chuckled, but it sounded flat and exhausted. "They're not trying to rile you up. Things are just… rough at the moment. They're frustrated."

"Not nearly as frustrated as I am. Do you think I _want_ to be here?"

"No, not really… I doubt anyone would. I'm still kind of wondering why you're here at all, blo- sir," he amended, wincing. "You're not in trouble with the law like we are. Last I checked you were still fighting for Beacon."

"Last you checked, I still had both arms," she said, grabbing a new plastic cup of water and downing it. "They kicked me out of Beacon and said I have to recover before they'll let me back in. The VSPR is my chance to prove otherwise." The cup slammed down, crinkling and spilling water over the woodwork. "Let me make one thing clear, Junior. This is my chance, and I'm _not_ going to let that slip by. You and your lot might be happy to waste it away and go back to prison, but I'm not. I have no idea how you can all just sit there and let this opportunity slip away!"

"We're not."

"Bullshit," Yang yelled, slamming her hand on the desk. "What do you call that back there? If the VSPR don't do their job, they'll be disbanded – and you four will be right back where you belong. I'd normally be okay with that, but things are different now. Things will _be_ different. I'll make sure of it."

"They won't be…" Junior said. "There isn't the time."

Something in his tone made her pause. It wasn't defiance, not like Miltia and Melanie, nor was it a passive-aggressive insult against her. If anything, Junior sounded defeated. She leaned forward in her seat, eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Let me make one thing clear," Junior said. "This here, the whole second chance thing, we didn't go out of our way to waste that. I was offered the deal first since I was just an informer for Cinder, and I snapped it up the second I saw it. The girls did, too. The attack on Vale was a huge cluster-fuck, and there was plenty of hate going around after it. In terms of _actual_ crimes, what I did would have normally got me three years, maybe five at a push." He leaned forward, eyes wild. "I've been sent down for _fifty_ , fifty years! For providing information to a woman I didn't even know was a psycho!"

Yang didn't say a word. She wasn't sure what she _could_ say, and what was on her mind might only make him angrier. There was a part of her that felt he deserved that kind of sentence, but that was the emotional and angry part. Fifty years was a little long for what was more a crime by association.

"The whole Kingdom is looking for people to blame for this, and we just happened to have the bad luck of surviving where Cinder didn't. So no, when this opportunity came up, we weren't dragged into it against out will. We volunteered."

"Then what was that out there?"

" _That_ ," he said, "is the culmination of a month and a half of absolute failure. That's what happens when you try and try your hardest and get smacked in the face for it. You stop trying, you give up." Junior sighed. "That's us being defeated. It's not you, and it isn't personal."

"I heard that things weren't going well," Yang said. "Ozpin told me you had problems with the last two captains and how they left."

"They weren't the main problem, even if they _were_ twats," he growled. "Look, you know what our job is, right?"

"Hunt down criminals too strong for the police to handle."

"And who do you think that entails?"

"White Fang, rogue huntsmen, the remnants of Cinder's little rebellion."

"Yeah, them…" Junior sighed. "Thing is, none of those people are exactly easy to find, and we don't have much in the way of resources to work with. The White Fang are active, but licking their wounds - and it's not like a terrorist organisation advertises its presence. With normal criminals, you can just sort of wait and watch, then react to crime scenes when they happen. It's not the same here. We need to find these guys _before_ something happens, and that's just about impossible."

"But I thought you were an information gatherer?"

"Back when I had my bar, sure! What, did you think that was my Semblance or something? I didn't do anything special with that, I just bought and sold secrets from people, and then sold them on to others. And yeah, I had criminal contacts too, but those kind of go out the window when you get arrested – and they go even further when you pop out of jail working for the other side. Who do you think would sell me information now!?"

No one… at least not anyone who didn't want to be arrested by Junior, or murdered by their colleagues. "That's why they wanted you in the VSPR, isn't it?" she asked. "They were banking on your contacts to give you an advantage."

"Bingo. They figured it would be the best way to find the Fang, and I sure as hell wasn't going to tell them otherwise. I figured I could find another way once we were out, but that got shot down by the first Captain."

"What happened?"

"Stupid asshole was a by the books kind of guy," he said. "I wanted to go in undercover and pretend I'd sprung myself out of jail, and I even managed to make a meet with one guy who owed me more favours than he dared miss out on. Thing is, when I went to meet with him – the _Captain_ ," he phrased the word with as much disgust as he could, "decided that he wanted to make an example of the kid. He stood up, yelled that he was under arrest, and then had to be dragged out of the place once the gunfire started."

"Ouch…"

"Yeah, and even though we got him out, we were still seen doing it. The news was out by next morning, and all of a sudden my contacts had changed their scrolls and weren't answering calls." Junior scowled and helped himself to a drink from her water cooler. "There's something you need to understand," he said. "The underworld is a big thing, but it moves fast. It has to in order to survive, and when one person is compromised, they have maybe six to twelve hours to act before police use information they gain to raid another safe house. Over the decades, they've gotten very good at covering their tracks. It's been a month and a bit since then, which means my ability to get involved there is gone."

Yang winced. It sounded like the old captain had made a pretty big blunder there, though she could hardly speak when she didn't know the first thing about being in a police force… maybe it had been the right call. Either way, she could see how it had screwed up Junior's attempts to find information.

"What happened after that?"

"Not much. Intel dried up faster than a whore in a convent, and our leads went down to a big fat zero. We tried to find out about the White Fang, and we did what we could," he added. "Thing is, it was never enough. Every time they struck, we were late to the party, and since they usually do terror attacks, it's all over in a matter of minutes anyway. The captain jumped ship the first moment he could, and his replacement did the same a few weeks later. You're the third." He nodded to her. "And probably the last…"

She didn't like the sound of that.

"Last…?"

"The VSPR hasn't brought in any results," Junior said. "We tried our best, we really did, but the task was impossible from the start. No leads, and it's not like Cinder ever told Mercury anything important. Everything we've tried has ended in disaster."

"But… but you're all just sat playing video games!"

"That's because we've given up. We're just… I guess we're just pissing away the days until we're back in a cell. It's bitter as hell, but what other choice do we have?"

"We can work!" Yang cried. She could feel her chance slipping away, the opportunity turning to dust in her hands, but that didn't mean she was going to give up. "We can fix this," she said. "We don't have any leads, but we can try and find some. I'm willing to do things the other captains probably weren't. We'll do whatever we have to, maybe infiltrate some White Fang recruitment cells and work our way up from there."

Junior shook his head. She ignored it.

"We'll keep trying until we make it work," she said. "The moment we give up is when everything is lost. Look, I understand that you guys are all disappointed because things haven't been working, but there's a change. I'm here." She grinned. "I'm here, and I'll shake things up. Just you wait and see. Come the end of this month, people will be singing our praises!"

Junior's head rose. It was his eyes that caught her, defeated and frustrated, and so very, very angry. Despite that, he could only smile bitterly.

"Next month, you say. Heh, didn't Ozpin tell you?

Yang's smile faltered. "Tell me what?"

"There's not going to _be_ a VSPR next month. We have three days."

"W-What…?"

"We're being disbanded this Friday."

/-/

Qrow liked bars, and he liked them even more when he had a pretty girl in his lap – but right now, there was something a little off, which killed the mood somewhat. He ran his hand through the girl's golden hair and let her rant against him.

"It's not fair!" his niece wailed, face buried in his chest as he patted her back. Qrow met the awkward looks a few other bar-goers shot her, and they quickly found something else to look at. "This was supposed to be my chance and it's not a chance at all. He lied. He tricked me! It's not fair!"

"I know it's not, firecracker," he comforted as best he could. He'd never been one for things like this, emotional stuff, but Yang's call – blubbery as it had been – made it clear she needed him. He'd flown over as soon as he could.

He'd made plenty of mistakes in his life, but not being there for the girls? Never.

"Why are they doing this to me?" she went on. "I can still fight. I can still make a difference. It's only my arm. I still have my aura."

She did, not that it would make a huge difference. Even now, her single hand gripped the fabric of his shirt, but the way she angled herself against him left him having to prop the other side of her body up so she didn't fall off his lap. She wasn't adjusting her weight properly, wasn't accounting for the fact she was heavier to one side.

He imagined it would be even worse if she were in an actual fight. Ozpin was right in wanting her to take time off and rest. She could use it to decide if the life of a huntress was what she wanted, and to learn to fight one-armed if she still wanted to give it a shot.

Ozpin wasn't wrong… Qrow understood the reasoning.

But that didn't mean he agreed with the method.

"It's the others too," she said. "They sent me this happy message about giving it my best shot and I _knew_ there was something wrong with it as soon as I got it. It wasn't until… until…" She broke off to catch her breath. "It wasn't until Junior told me we were going to be disbanded that I realised. Ozpin told them. They knew this was a fake thing, and that's why they agreed. It was all to keep me from going back to Beacon. I just don't understand why. They were my friends. Why are they doing this?"

"They're doing it because they care," he whispered. Her head lifted up, mouth opening in time to argue, but he placed a hand atop her golden mane and pushed her back down into his chest. "They care, but they're not sure how to go about it, so they're putting the responsibility on someone else and letting them make the decision. People do that, firecracker. They're so afraid of making mistakes that they hesitate to make a decision at all, and let other people make them instead. It doesn't mean they don't care… in fact, they care too much. It's because they love you that they're so desperate to keep you safe. It's like a mother being frightened for her child when she skins her knee."

"I'm not a child," Yang mumbled into his shirt.

"You're not, but you're not an adult either, no matter how much you might argue. My point is that Ruby and your team want you to be safe, but it's kind of like that mother and kid thing. You can keep them locked in a padded room all you want, but the world ain't safe, and sooner or later they need to come out and face it."

Ruby could have stood to handle it better, though. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was only fifteen, and that this was probably the first time she'd ever seen her invincible sister as someone who could easily be taken away like her mom was. As for Ozpin… well, the thing about people not liking to take responsibility came in there, too. Inevitably, when you had most people being afraid to make decisions, you also had those who felt they had to make decisions for others.

Ruby and her team had probably accepted Oz's decision without a second thought, trusting that the headmaster's wisdom was the best.

Maybe it was.

Yang wouldn't even come out of this looking bad, since it would be clear from her record that she'd never had a chance in the first place. Just about anyone would see it as her being put into the position because someone _had_ to, and she was just holding it as a formality until the unit disbanded.

Ozpin always did think things through. He just had a disturbing tendency to believe he knew best, and to make decisions for other people, irrespective of what they, themselves, wanted. Did that make him a bad person? Maybe... maybe not. Clearly, it made him one in Yang's eyes, even if decisions on who could or couldn't study at his academy were his to make.

"What do you think?" Yang asked. "Am I… am I too weak to continue?"

"I'm… undecided."

He knew Yang wouldn't like the answer, which was why he'd tightened his grip before he said it. She struggled to break free, but she was exhausted emotionally and mentally and wasn't able to break free.

"Listen to me, Yang – listen. I'm not saying I agree with them, and it's not that I'm not on your side. What I'm saying is that I'm willing to wait and see what _you_ decide."

"What I decide?" She stilled in his arms. "So you trust me?"

"That's where I'm undecided, firecracker. See, I'm probably the worst kind of guy to give any advice, least of all tell someone what's right or wrong. I figure I'll wait and see. If you're not strong enough, you'll fail, but that doesn't make you weak." He grinned and rubbed her head. "Sometimes people fail for things outside of their control. Trust me; I've failed a lot in my life. Some of those things I know I could have done differently, but some of them I just couldn't. Life isn't always fair, but as long as you survive, you can learn from it. If you can't do this, it'll be because of your arm – which means you need time to rest and recover, and Ozpin is right."

"And if I _can_ do this?"

"Then you prove that you don't need that time. Ozpin is wrong and you're right." He grinned. "It's as simple as that."

Yang seemed satisfied with the answer… or enough so that she stopped trying to break away from him. He sat her up and handed a cocktail to her. She drank it greedily, shooting her own glares at anyone who looked her way. That was his niece, all spit and fire.

Just like her mother, really. Both Summer _and_ Raven.

"It's just not fair," she said once she was done. "I'm so angry, too. It's not just Ozpin, but the fact the others went along with it just like that. I get that they're trying to look out for me, but to go behind my back like this?" She sighed. "I feel so betrayed."

"Yeah, I can see why." He downed his own drink and gasped at the taste. "Make no mistake; I'm on your side on this one. They royally fucked that up. Still, it was more through stupidity than malice." He tapped her nose. "Keep that in mind. Sure, they probably deserve your anger now, but they're still your friends."

"I'll try." Yang laughed, but it soon faltered, and her face fell back into a pensive one. "What am I going to do, Uncle Qrow? How am I supposed to make this work?"

"Damned if I know." He shrugged and raised his hand to order another drink, only to pause when he noticed Yang's shocked expression. "What?"

"I came to you for advice!"

"And I'll give you any I can," Qrow said. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what I'm supposed to do."

"Try and turn the VSPR around, I guess."

"Not that," Yang growled. "How – I need some way to do it."

Qrow shrugged. "I've got no idea."

"W-What!?"

"Look, Yang… I appreciate the faith you seem to have in me, I really do, but how would I ever know how to run a police department? I'd be as screwed in your situation as you are. The only thing I'm better at than you right now is fighting, and this isn't something I can beat up. If there's any way I can help, I will, but you'll need to be more specific."

Her face twisted, both in displeasure and also thought. He wasn't lying, and he'd have totally helped her if he could, but what could he do?

He was a huntsman, nothing more.

"Do you have any information on the White Fang that we could use to get a successful case?"

"If I did, I'd have already gone to Oz with it," he said. "I can keep an ear open, but it's not like they shout this kind of thing out on the streets. What about your partner?"

"You mean my ex-partner?" Yang scowled. "She's with Ozpin. Even if she knew something, she probably wouldn't tell me. No, I need to do this on my own. What about people you could talk to? Don't you have some kind of contact in Vale's criminal network?"

"I'm a huntsman, firecracker. No one like that would dare come near me."

"So you're useless, then?"

Ouch, that wasn't quite how he would have put it. He winced and took a sip of the drink a waitress brought him. "I wouldn't go that far. I'm not so useless that I couldn't drop everything to come and drink with my niece now, was I?"

"I guess not," Yang mumbled. "Sorry… It's just… this isn't fair at all, and it keeps making me angry. I guess I'm starting to understand why Junior and the others are in such bad moods as well. How am I meant to fix this by Friday? It's Tuesday night already."

Qrow looked down at his scroll and winced. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to point out it was now technically Wednesday. Still, his niece needed him, and this was something he _could_ offer advice in.

"I think you're looking at it the wrong way."

"Huh?"

"You keep saying it's not fair, that it was a trick and you don't have a chance." He paused and watched as she looked up at him and nodded. "Well you're not wrong."

"What!?"

"Sad as it is to admit, firecracker. Life isn't fair. It's not fair that some assclown stronger than any student came and took away your arm, and it's not fair that hundreds of people who didn't even have aura had to die down on the streets, mowed down by Grimm. Remnant is a pretty messed up place, and there isn't much here that's fair. Your little foray here is just one more example."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked. "Give up?"

"The way I see it, you've got three options. You can keep whining about how it's not fair, you can give up, or you can do something. Those are the only choices you have."

"I'm not whining," Yang snarled.

"You are. Whoa, whoa-" He kept hold of her as she bucked against him. "Oh come on, Yang. I'm not saying you don't have the right to whine, hell, even I would if I were in your shoes. Still, it's not going to fix anything, and you don't have the time for it. The hand you've been dealt isn't fair, not one bit. Oz isn't exactly an equal opponent for you, and less so when he has your best interests at heart. Still, he's the opponent you've got, so you'd best figure out some way of beating him rather than complaining about how the odds are stacked in his favour."

"I'm not giving up," she said. "I'll do something. I… I just don't know what."

"Then you'll have to find something, and fast."

"Don't you think I'm trying!?"

"Honestly? No."

Yang's mouth fell open.

"I think you're drowning your woes in a bar, Yang. Sure, coming to me for an answer wasn't a bad shot, and I'm sorry I don't have one. If I did, I'd have given it to you already. Staying here, though…? If you really want to make this work, then you don't have much time." Qrow placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to convey his feelings, the message that he _was_ on her side, but that tough love was all he could give her right now.

He'd have loved to hold her and coddle her, but that was what she was saying she didn't want from Tai and her team. If that was really true, then all he could give her was the hard, unforgiving, truth. If it took her even a day to recover, that would be half of her remaining time gone.

"I can't say I ever wanted to see you like this, firecracker. Not this young, anyway. Still, as long as it's not over, you've still got a chance. You're running out of options, though."

"I-I know. I need results before Friday. How am I supposed to manage that? It's impossible. They tried to find the White Fang for over a month and got nowhere for it. Now I have to come in and manage that in two days." She sighed and shook her head, eyes focused on the table before them. "There has to be something I'm missing, some kind of angle."

There might not be, he wanted to say. Sometimes there really were no options, like when Summer died. How many hours had he spent looking back and asking what he could have done differently? Life wasn't always fair. Still, he waited in silence, content to let Yang think. This might not be the same, and he didn't want to crush her confidence with his cynicism.

"You'll have to think outside the box," he said instead. "Doing what they normally do hasn't worked for them already, so there's no point in you trying. If I were you, I'd see what could be done differently – and I'd take risks, too. It's not like you've got anything to lose at this point."

Yang nodded. Woozily, she made her way off his lap, and swayed before him. He reached out to catch her, but she steadied herself and stepped back.

"Do you want to crash at my apartment?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I need to go back to the precinct. I have work to do."

"At this time?"

"Yeah…" Yang turned away and moved for the door. "No time like the present."

Qrow watched her go with a tiny smile. Sure, Ozpin and Tai would be upset, especially if she somehow pulled it off. Ruby would be mad, too, and that was something he didn't relish. On the other hand, screw what they thought. He was undecided, and he'd take their anger if that was what it took. He swept up his glass and saluted Yang's back.

"Atta girl…"

/-/

Yang bumped into the doorframe of the VSPR HQ. It was dark inside, but she had the keys and was able to let herself in. Where the others lived, she neither knew nor cared. There were other things to focus on, and as she clumsily deactivated the alarm and turned on the lights, she let her mind wander to them.

Uncle Qrow had been both a bust and a help, which was pretty much par for the course with him. As harsh as he'd been, he was right that she'd been whining. At any other time, she could afford to mope for a bit, but the deadline was too short here. If she failed and had to go home, she'd have plenty of time to feel sorry for herself. For now, she needed to act.

Next to her office was a records room. It was mostly empty on account of the lack of successful cases they'd brought, but it did have the contracts of the staff who worked here. She ignored the ones from the previous captains, and instead brought the employee ones to her office, laying them out on the desk. As expected, they were complicated – even by what she imagined the usual standard was. There were loads of forms they'd signed, probably dealing with what they were allowed to do, where to travel, who to contact, and such.

 _They chose Junior because they thought his information contacts would be useful, and going by that logic, they probably picked Mercury because they hoped he'd know some of Cinder's plans._ Both of those leads had been a bust, but maybe not because they were bad ideas. Like Qrow said, sometimes things failed because of circumstances outside your control. Junior's cover had been blown, and Mercury simply hadn't ever known enough.

The theory, though?

It was dead on.

It was just the choices which had failed.

Yang surged up once more and moved over to a wooden bookcase on the other side of her office. Most of the books were useless; either self-help books about being an officer, or dictionaries for god knew what purpose. Among them, however, was a single folder – the same one Ozpin had given her.

"Charter, goals, ah, here we go." Yang's finger traced the page before her, which detailed the legal lengths the VSPR could go to. The lengths _she_ could go. It included things like how much force they could utilise – a lot, apparently – but also what their jurisdiction was, what legal protections they had, and what actual power she had.

For the most part, it wasn't a lot. This was a force made of criminals, so they didn't want to leave much influence in their hands. On the flip side, she had an almost bizarre level of freedom on what she could do with prisoners, presumably because she, or the previous captains, might have needed it to rein them in. She had almost carte blanche when it came to integrating and controlling her employees – especially if they'd broken the law.

Yang's lips curled upwards.

/-/

Junior hesitated by the front door, Miltia and Melanie behind him. It was open and the lights were on, which was definitely the biggest sign something was wrong, since the day Mercury arrived early was the day the world came to an end. As if to prove his point, there was a loud yawn from behind, and the sleepy-haired boy sauntered up to them.

"Yo, why are we all stood outside? You forget your keys?"

"Use your eyes, dipshit," Miltia snorted. "The door's open."

"Someone is here." Melanie echoed.

"Eh, probably Blondie, right?" Mercury pushed past them and opened the door. "Don't tell me you forgot about her already?"

"Why would she be here so early?"

"She's one of those goodie-goodie types," he said. "Trust me, they're a pain. I bet she'll be in there with cookies and ice-cream, ready to welcome us to our day as we go out to hand flowers to little orphans and… and…"

Mercury trailed off, and as Junior and the girls stepped into the room, he saw why.

The girl, Yang, was there, just like he'd expected – but she wasn't the same woman she was before. The last he'd seen her, she was silent and dispirited, but now she watched them with hawkish eyes. Gone were the baggy slacks and orange vest, as were the sneakers and awkward expression. In their place was a pair of loose dark-blue combat trousers, secured at the ankles and tucked into black boots, with black kneepads strapped into place. They trailed up to a thick belt with several pouches and even a holster on her hip.

Her shoulders and arms were bared, with her upper body covered by a black top zipped low at the chest. Her left arm hung loosely from it, but her right – the severed arm – was hidden under what looked to be an impressive and ornate mantle. It was clasped at her shoulder, and thrown over so that it hung on both the back and front of the right-hand side of her body. The mantle was black with gold scrolling on the edges, and the symbol of the VSPR on the golden clasp. It was a strange mix of rough and ready police wear, and formal dress.

It suited her, though. She looked dangerous – but that might have had something to do with the face as well. Her purple eyes roved over them, critical, silent, but with deadly focus. Little wonder Mercury had frozen.

"It's about time you arrived," she snapped. "There's work to be done."

"What… what are you wearing?" Melanie asked.

"My uniform… I found it in a locker." She tossed her head back, a single golden braid falling across her shoulder. "The rest of you suit up, and try to look your best. We're meeting some important people today."

"Who, what…" Miltia seemed lost for words, but settled for anger. "Who the hell are you to give us orders, Blondie!?"

"My _name_ is Yang," the girl seethed. She took a step forward, and against all odds, Miltia took one back. "Yang Xiao-Long… I'm one of the huntresses involved in the Battle of Beacon. I fought against the leader of Vale's White Fang, and I'm the one person in the city who can keep you four out of jail. But more than that, more than anything else…"

Yang stopped a pace away from Miltia, even as the girl finally lost her balance and tripped over, grabbing Melanie and dragging her to the floor as well.

Yang smirked.

"More than that, I am your Captain – and you will address me as such. Am I understood?"

"What the-"

"Understood, Captain," Junior interrupted, shooting the girls a quick glare before they could make things worse. He pulled a salute, clumsy but there. "Sir, you said we have somewhere to be, but the VSPR are to be closed down in less than two days. Who could we possibly be meeting?"

"I'm glad you asked, Junior." Yang reached under her mantle-cloak-thing and drew forth a manila folder. She tossed it at him, and he caught it as it bounced off his chest. "We're going to meet with the one person who might be capable of finding us what we need in the little time we have. We'll be meeting with him, and making an offer he can't refuse."

Junior opened the folder, and he didn't even have the presence of mind to hide it from Mercury, who leaned over his shoulder to have a look. The first page was simple, and one he'd seen before. It was the contract he'd been offered when he joined the VSPR, replete with all its rules and regulations to ensure he didn't go rogue, and that he knew he'd be killed on sight if he did. It was what lay behind the contract that made him gasp. A newspaper clipping, with a familiar face prominently featured.

It wasn't ever day a notorious criminal was arrested, after all.

"They'll never stand for it…" Junior whispered, looking up into the girl's eyes. "He's Vale's most wanted criminal, and he's finally behind bars. Hell, he was responsible for most of what happened to Beacon, and you want to let him out?" He shook his head. "You're insane."

"You're insane, _Captain_." Yang corrected. She looked at the others, and maybe it was the mood, or maybe just fear of being punched again, but Mercury straightened and snapped an arm up to salute. "Suit up and prepare an APC, then meet me out front. There's work to be done."

* * *

 **And here's the second chapter. It didn't occur to me until writing this, but Yang seems to be a fairly rare central character in RWBY Fanfiction. I don't just mean in terms of general fics (since there are plenty of Bumblebee ones), but fics where she is the main central character.**

 **Either way, Yang's come to see her situation for what it is, and taken a dangerous gambit, but will it pay off?**

 **Find out next time, etc…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Onwards and such, and here we go.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

The VSPR's APC was a large and bulky thing in an ugly shade of dark blue-black. It had a sloped front similar to a wedge, and eight wheels which tore their way down an empty road towards Vale's largest prison complex. With heavy armour plating the front and sides, and a single door on the back, it cut an imposing sight, even before the VSPR's logo could be seen emblazoned on either side, with the four letters stamped beneath.

Inside, it was no less luxurious, and Yang bounced around in her seat, held down by four straps that cut a cross-shape over her torso and joined in the middle. She wore the same outfit she'd found at the HQ, while everyone else was now dressed in their own variations. Junior was up front driving, and dressed in dark blue cargo trousers and combat boots. He had a bulky vest on, festooned with pockets. Over the top, he wore a navy police jacket, which hung open.

Mercury looked somewhat similar, but had eschewed the jacket and the vest, instead going for black-blue pants into a black tank top and bared arms. He had some elbow pads and black gloves on, but otherwise seemed content to stick with his usual weapons – his feet.

Melanie and Miltia echoed one another in their uniform, but it looked like they'd been unable to resist the urge to personalise it. Both wore black combat skirts similar to Ruby's, though with far less tulle. They were functional and short, giving free range of movement. They also wore tight-fitting police jackets zipped up the front, but the main point of differentiation was that each of them had attached a half-skirt to one side of their combat one, meaning that on one side, they were covered down to their feet. Naturally, Melanie's was white, and Miltia's was red.

"Do you honestly think this'll work?" Miltia asked, her voice thick with scorn. "There's no way they'll let us get away with this, and even if they did, don't you think the White Fang will have moved their bases by now? He won't know any of them."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Miltia hesitated. "No…"

"Then we go with this," Yang said, crossing her arm over her chest, and trying to ignore how wrong that felt with only one. "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does, the VSPR keeps going, and you idiots get to stay free. Isn't that worth taking a chance on?"

"I dunno… it sounds like a pretty dumb idea."

Yang rolled her eyes. "How old are you two again?"

"Twenty. Why?"

Because they acted like twelve-year-olds. "No reason," she said, turning to Mercury. "I take it you're okay with this? It's not like we have any other options since you guys haven't managed to find any White Fang bases at all."

"Eh, it works for me," Mercury said, hunched forward in his seat. The guy smirked cockily and drew a metal slat back on the wall behind him. It revealed a narrow eye-hole, and now that her attention was drawn to them, she could see that they surrounded the entire APC, giving them options to look outside if they needed it. "Like you say, it's not like we managed anything else." He leaned back and banged on Junior's seat. "Hey, old man. We nearly there yet?"

"Ask that again and watch me pull over," Junior replied. He swerved to the left, bringing them out onto a long and lonely road flanked by chain-link fences. "You might want to come up front, Blondie," he remarked. There was a second of silence, and he sighed. "You might want to come up front, captain."

"That's more like it," Yang said, unbuckling her straps and slipping through the cramped APC.

They'd come to a stop by a guard station, and two men were approaching. She pushed over the back of the seat and landed on the passenger side. She pressed a button and waited as the window on her side slid down.

There were two men at the ready, each armed with guns and one on either side of the APC. Up ahead, she could also make out others atop towers, and there'd likely be cameras and whatnot watching. The place was well-guarded, as it ought to be. It didn't matter either way, since they wouldn't be storming the place.

The first man, dressed in a guard's uniform, came up to her window. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to see some-"

Yang took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and refused to let her nerves show.

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long of the VSPR," she replied, holding out the badge Ozpin had provided. "I'm here to speak with a prisoner regarding an investigation."

"W-Wait, what?"

The poor guy was confused, but she didn't give him any time to gather himself. The plan was simple; go in hard and fast and make it seem like they had every right in the world to be there. She did, legally speaking, but if she let herself get bogged down by nerves or panic, they'd keep her distracted until Ozpin came down to see what she was doing.

That would be bad…

"We weren't made aware of this, ma'am," the officer said.

"It just came up," Yang lied. "Look, we're here on official business, and if you'll check with your superiors, you'll see we have clearance to enter and leave at will, regardless of our reason. I'm only telling you boys because I'm being polite."

The guy outside her window looked to the other, who shrugged his shoulders and made a gesture towards his ear. The first nodded, and then turned back to her. "Please give me a moment, Captain. I'll radio my superiors, and I'm sure we'll have this sorted out in no time at all."

"Go ahead," Yang waved. "We'll wait."

Technically speaking, nothing she'd said was a lie. She'd made sure of it when going through the rights and freedoms the VSPR had. Her fingers tapped on the doorframe, her eyes scanning both the first guard talking over the radio, and the other, who still held a gun loosely in his arms. They both seemed a little too lax, but who was she to argue? They'd probably had snipers watching their vehicle as it approached.

She just hoped they accepted her at her word. She really was running on bravado and little else. Sure, she was usually a pretty confident girl, but that was with stuff she knew back to front. Put her on a stage in front of an opponent and she'd be fine. Ask her to speak in front of a crowd, and she'd be tongue-tied.

Brow-beating an honest to goodness police officers was somewhere in the middle, but definitely hadn't featured in her list of things she'd expected to do this year. _Just smile and act like this is natural. No one will know._

Even saying that, she couldn't help but sweat as the guy finished his silent conversation and turned back to her. Had something gone wrong?

"Your story checks out, Captain Xiao-Long," the man said, putting away his radio and stepping aside. "If you'll draw into the car park on the left, you can enter by the main entrance."

"Thanks, boys," she called, smirking if only because anything else would have made her collapse in relief. Junior pulled forward and through the slowly opening gates, and she turned to him with a weak smile. "Well, we're in. That's half the battle right there."

"Can't say I ever expected to come back here," Junior said, watching the place with a veiled expression. "It's as horrifying as I remember it."

Yang almost pointed out that he'd have had to return if the VSPR collapsed, but thought better of it. If they did go under, there was almost no way Junior and the others would come back to prison. Their sentences were too long. They'd all make a break for it, and no doubt die in some shoot-out with the police. Mercury, especially, would rather die free, than face however long his sentence was. At least a life time for sure…

"Leave the talking to me," Yang called to the others in the back. "You're all coming with me, but I'm the one who speaks with him when we get in. Other than that, try to look like you belong. We've got every right to be here, and we're going to play on that."

"Heh, I was doing hustles long before you," Miltia said. "I know how to play the game. Question is, do you?"

 _We'll soon find out, won't we?_ Yang thought, stepping out the APC. The back door cracked open, with the three crawling out while Junior slammed the other door shut and walked around. Yang looked up at the Vale Prison, or to give it its official and ridiculous name; Vale Central Correctional Penitentiary, High Security Wing. It was a huge, squad building made of grey concrete decorated with grey doors and grey bars over windows. Barbed wire cut across the top, but given that it would have no real impact on the aura-infused criminals within, she had to wonder what else there was. It was a hideous building… the kind of place dreams went to die.

It wasn't even the main prison of Vale. But it _was_ the one they sent the most dangerous of criminals to; convicted huntsmen or those with the training to match. With a deep breath, Yang strode forward, her four `colleagues` in tow behind her.

The front door was open, but an officer had to let them deeper inside. He reached for their weapons, but stepped back when she flashed her badge. He didn't seem to recognise it, at least not the department, but he clearly knew authority when he saw it. He also didn't seem to realise how panicked she really was, but that was okay.

Miltia and Melanie helped in that regard, the two possessing so much bitchiness it somehow came across as confidence. They sneered and turned their noses up at anyone and everyone they passed, and with the four falling behind her like some kind of military parade, it made her look better, too.

She'd have thanked them if she thought for a second they were actually doing it for her, and not because they genuinely were just that rude.

The group went unchallenged for a good five minutes or so, but she knew it wouldn't last. It eventually came to a head after they'd been allowed through a door of metal bars, and when they came face to face with a round man that reminded her of Port.

Well, if Port had shaved his moustache and swallowed fifty-thousand lemons. Pinched, didn't even begin to describe the guy's expression. He looked like he could curdle milk with a single glare.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he snapped.

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long of the VSPR," she said, flashing her badge. "I-"

"I know who you are," the man growled, slapping the badge out of her hand. Several other officers in the room gasped. "Or I don't know you, girl, but I know your joke of an outfit. VSPR? More like felons and crooks masquerading as men of the law. Bad enough when the higher-ups let these fuckers out, but now you have the balls to come back?" He sneered. "I think not."

Yang felt the man's breath wash over her, and had to resist the urge to flinch. Concealing how uncomfortable she felt was hard and even more so raising a cocky eyebrow.

 _Act calm. Act confident. Act like you have every right to be here._

Yang tilted her head to the side and rolled her eyes, then looked over to one of the man's own officers and nodded to the ground. When it was clear the poor guy didn't know what she meant, she started to tap one foot against the floor.

He held her gaze for all of five seconds, before he broke ranks and scurried forward. Kneeling down, he scooped her badge up and held it back out to her. "Here you go, ma'am."

"Thank you. It's good to see someone with manners around here."

"Are you listening to me, girl!?" the warden spat. "You're not welcome here, you and your stupid bunch of rejects. I already played ball once, and I won't be doin' it again!"

"You have to," she said. "I have every right to be here."

"Tell it to someone who cares, missy!"

Yang swallowed and clenched her teeth. This wasn't good. She'd hoped everyone would just back down and let her do what she wanted – she did have the legal right to, after all, and they could all just blame her for anything that went wrong. Bumping into someone capable, and very willing, to deny her?

That hasn't been a part of the plan.

 _What do I do now? I can't exactly force my way through. It would cause a riot, and I'm pretty sure Ozpin wouldn't be happy with that._ It wouldn't help her, either. She needed the VSPR to bring in some results, not get arrested in a prison brawl.

"Ahem." Mercury cleared his throat and stepped up to her side. "Shall I take him down, ma'am?" he asked casually. "I can knock him out, and have everyone in the room subdued in a few seconds. It wouldn't be hard."

The warden flinched back, as did his fellows, and more than a few hands fell to weapons strapped at their waists. For a second, she wondered if Mercury had done that just to screw with her, but the bastard winked at her and she quickly caught on. He was throwing his weight behind her – making him seem like the dangerous one, so she could come across with more authority.

"No need, Mercury. Stand down."

"Yes, Captain."

Yang felt a little confidence return to her when she saw the officers around them relax. Some even looked her way in clear awe, amazed that she could command a dangerous criminal so. She made a mental note to do something nice for Mercury, then remembered who he was and scrapped the idea.

He was a handy asshole, but he was still an asshole! He'd made her feel like absolute trash when she'd `apparently` broken his legs. He wasn't getting out of that one so easily.

Still, he'd helped here. Yang swept her mantle to the side a little, just enough to display her firearm, and looked the warden in the eye. "Are you done yet? I'd like to move on if possible."

"What… what the fuck are you playing at…?" the warden growled. He relaxed a little, though his hand had yet to leave his handgun. He eyed her warily, but perhaps also with the tiniest amount of respect. Respect didn't mean like, however, and he made that clear with a sneer. "You dare to come in here and throw threats like that around? I should have you all arrested."

"Try it," she said. "I'll arrest you first."

"Ha?"

"Obstruction of justice, dereliction of duty, or maybe just plain old-fashioned sabotage," Yang listed. She wasn't sure any of those really counted here, but that wasn't important. She just had to keep her momentum up. "I have the right, no - I can determine what rights I have, when it comes to taking prisoners from you." She stepped forward, and was rewarded with the warden taking a step back. "You may be the king of this place when it comes to anyone else, but not us – and not me. We're the VSPR, and right now, I'm the boss here. If you step in my way, I'll take you down and drag you before court. Maybe then you can explain why you so wilfully broke the law by trying to impede our progress."

"You… what the hell are you talking about?"

"Article four of the VSPR," Yang said, holding out the folder Ozpin had given her. The grin she wore was nothing short of victorious. "The VSPR has all rights accorded to the Council of Vale when it comes to recruitment of prisoners into their ranks, including but not limited to prisoner transfers, prisoner interviews, and also moving prisoners wherever the hell we want." She snapped the folder back before he could take it from her. "But you already know that, don't you? This is the place my colleagues here all came from, so you know you can't do anything to stop me."

The man growled, his lip practically vibrating as he struggled over whether or not to draw his weapon. His companions seemed far less certain, and many had already stepped back in clear surrender. Not a one had a weapon drawn, and some were even looking away, making it obvious they weren't involved, or that at the very least they didn't want to be there.

"Fine," the warden spat. "You'll get your time. Which prisoner you want to see?"

Yang hid a wince behind her wide smile. He wasn't going to like her answer.

/-/

His cell was easily the most secure in the facility. For one, it was disconnected from any hallways, and consisted of a smaller cell sat in the middle of a large, empty room. It was suspended atop a raised platform, and the doors leading out were at least twenty feet in the air – none being on the floor itself. To get to his cell, Yang had to wait as an artificial bridge was extended into place, connecting her door to his with a metal tunnel complete with an airlock.

"Sheesh, this is a bit much," Melanie grumbled.

"They're not taking any chances," Junior said. "Not with him. If he gets out, the entire city will be in uproar."

Yeah, and she was walking the fine line between it. Yang stepped forward when one of the officers entered a code into a pad, opening the airlock. She stopped when the others made to follow and shook her head. "I'm going in alone."

"He doesn't know you," Junior pointed out. "He won't trust you."

"He'll have no choice."

Junior looked like he might complain, but nodded after a second's thought. He reached into his combat vest and pulled out a small, silver case. "If you give this to him, he'll be more likely to listen to you."

Yang nodded and stashed it away. The officers nearby looked nervous at the thought of her taking anything to him, but they knew there wasn't much they could do. Her authority was too great, and that was probably an oversight from the Council and Ozpin now that she thought about it. With a nod to Junior and the others, she stepped out alone into the tunnel, and let out a quick breath when the cell door shut behind her.

Finally, she was alone, but it didn't make her feel any better. She took the chance to catch her breath, and also calm her rampaging pulse. Everything had worked out so far, but that didn't mean she wasn't going through her own miniature panic attack. _Dad will kill me if he finds out about this. Ruby, too. Heck, even Zwei would bite me._

That was if she didn't strangle herself first. This was _not_ what she'd had in mind when she accepted Ozpin's offer. To be fair, she hadn't had much in mind… just thoughts of how she'd prove him wrong and get back into Beacon.

"Well, that's still the plan. Come on, girl. You can do this."

She flipped open the silver case Junior had given her with a flick, revealing a row of expensive cigars. Yang took one out and put the case away. As much as she felt Junior was being honest, she'd be an idiot to trust him, and that was the main reason why she wanted to go in alone.

 _I'm towing a fine line as it is. If Ozpin finds out about this, I'll be in trouble. There's no way he expected it to go this far, and I doubt the Council will like it either._ Yang took a deep breath and let it go. It was stupidity of the highest degree, but it was also her last chance. If she didn't take this, then she'd be out of Beacon and off of Team RWBY.

Her boots echoed over the metal walkway. She didn't feel any more confident, but she sure as hell made sure she looked like it.

The central cell itself was fairly typical, nothing more than metal bars that reached down from the ceiling, with more running horizontally across the top. Simplicity had clearly been the aim, that and not giving the man inside anywhere to hide from view. There was a simple bed, a desk with two chairs, and a toilet off by the side. Not even modesty had been afforded to him. Clearly, Vale felt him too dangerous for it.

Yang did, too, and it was all she could do not to snarl as his head raised, green eyes flashing from behind orange hair. Roman Torchwick cocked his head to the side and smiled.

"Why, hello there, yellow. What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Work," Yang replied, biting off her words. She hesitated for a second but stomped forward and into his cell before he noticed it. She had to appear strong. She had to be in control. "I'm here for work, Torchwick."

"Work, hmm? That's quite the school assignment. I wasn't aware Beacon sent its students to places like this." He leaned back in his seat and looked her up and down. She knew she cut a different figure in her outfit, and his eyes narrowed. "You look different."

With a shrug, she drew off the black and gold mantle and laid it on the back of the seat. As she sat down, she was painfully aware of the way his eyes flicked to the stump of her arm. He seemed surprised, though he hid it well.

With a smile she didn't really feel, Yang rested her elbow on the table.

"I had a haircut."

"So I see." Roman chuckled lightly. "Looks like the cut a little too much off the sides to me, but I'm not fully up-to-date with your fashions. Not much time for it in here."

She could tell. Roman wore baggy grey pants and a grey vest that didn't suit him at all. Then again, it was a prisoner's uniform, and he wasn't meant to feel good about it. She had to imagine that was an issue for him, especially considering how much of a love he had for the dramatics. Oh how the mighty had fallen.

He deserved nothing less for what he'd done. She really did hate him.

 _But I also need him._

"I'm not with Beacon anymore," Yang said, laying the single cigar down on the table. She placed a plastic lighter beside it, and grinned at the way his eyes lit up. He glanced at her and then down at it, licking his lips. "Take it. It's a gift."

Not from her, but whatever. He didn't need to know.

Roman snatched it up before she could take back the offer. It took barely two seconds for him to have it between his teeth, and only another three for him to relax as he puffed away. "Ah, I've missed this so much. Okay, Blondie. You've got my attention for this. What is it you want?"

"First of all, I want you to call me by my name."

"Sure thing, Yang."

Really, it was going to be that easy? A part of her was surprised he knew her name, but maybe someone had told him towards the end. Either way, her eyes narrowed. Roman simply laughed.

"I've been locked in here for over a month now, with no visitors other than that fat-ass warden, his men, and the occasional visit from Ozpin. Through all of that, I haven't had so much of a whiff of tobacco. You want me to call you be your name? Sure, fine – whatever. At this point, I'd be willing to do a backflip if it got me another."

"Ozpin visited you?" she asked. "Why?"

"He wants what I know." Roman tapped the side of his head and smirked. "Or at least he thinks he does. Idiot keeps coming on by to see whether I'll crack and confess all my crimes. I'm about ready to crack and smash my head against the bars. Can't be worse than listening to him talk about how I could redeem myself by helping him stop others. Bah, talk about a sanctimonious idiot."

So, Ozpin was trying to get information out of Roman as well. The fact he'd turned down the headmaster didn't bode well for her chances. Ugh, if only it were possible to just beat it out of him. Sadly, that wouldn't go down well. Not all problems could be solved with a fist.

"Why not tell him?" she asked instead. "Is there a reason you're holding onto it?"

"You interested in it as well?"

Yang shrugged.

"I'm holding on to what I know because it wouldn't serve me any good if I told anyone. Right now, stuck in here, it's the last thing I have going for me. If I give that up for nothing, I'll lose what value I have to the bastard. You can bet I'll be abandoned to rot at that time, or maybe even killed off in an unfortunate accident." He sounded remarkably unconcerned about such a possibility. "I've told him if he wants me to help him, he should make a deal. It's all about economics, supply and demand, and right now I'm a reasonable man."

"You took over an airship and had robots kill innocent people."

"I said reasonable, not perfect. You think I wanted to do that? Cinder made me a deal. I accepted it."

"And what were the terms?" Yang asked. "What did she offer you that was so valuable you'd kill for it?"

"My life…" He pulled out the cigar and sighed. "My life and that of someone else I cared about. I took the only option I saw. Not that I expect it to make much difference, but there was nothing personal about it."

"I'm not sure that'll appease all the people who lost loved ones."

"I did say I didn't expect it to make a difference. You can believe me or not, it doesn't really matter. The only reason I'm even chatting is because I'm bored as hell." He waved one arm in the air. "I don't get much in the way of conversation here."

It didn't seem like he got much in the way of exercise, either. Roman still had his usual shape and form, but his eyes looked sallow, and some of the skin hung from him. He looked older, even if he still managed his cocksure attitude. He definitely didn't get to go out and exercise with the other prisoners. He was too dangerous for that. She'd guess he spent most of his time locked in here. It sounded like torture.

Maybe that was the point… maybe they wanted to make him crack and go insane so he would never again be a threat to Vale. That felt pretty dark, but looking at a place like this, she couldn't help but imagine it. No one would even care. No, that wasn't quite right. People would celebrate if that happened.

"So, I've answered your questions. How about you tell me why you're dressed like some kind of military wannabe?"

"It's my uniform. I'm a member of the Vale Special Police and Recon unit, the VSPR."

His brow creased. "So, that's what you meant when you said you weren't with Beacon. How did that come about?"

"Adam Taurus cut off my arm, and Ozpin decided I wasn't good enough to stay on." Yang clenched her teeth when his eyes went to her stump once more, but she bore it as best she could. "My job is to take down the remnants of Cinder's group and protect Vale."

"And you get paid for it, I guess?" Roman smirked when she nodded. "I don't see why you're so upset. Sounds like a promotion to me."

He wouldn't understand. In a way, it _was_ a step up from being a student, but that wasn't the important part. She wanted things to go back to normal. This wasn't that. "None of your business, Roman."

"Ooh, sore spot? I'll leave it be… for now." He crossed his arms on the table and grinned at her. "So, let me guess. You're here because you want the same information Ozpin does. You want me to point you in the right direction, so you can mop up the White Fang or Cinder's lackeys and claim all that juicy glory. Sound about right?"

Yang held her silence. He wasn't wrong, but she didn't think admitting it would help. Yet again, she wished she could be doing something else. This wasn't the kind of person she was. She didn't like pretending to be calm, or pretending to be an authority figure. She was who she was, and had never been the kind of person to mince her words.

Basically, she wasn't cut out for leadership. That was why she hadn't raised an issue when her little sister was given it over her. She wasn't a thinker. She was a fighter.

 _I can be that again once I'm back in Beacon. This is only a temporary thing. I just need to play being like this for a few months._

"I'm not sure we've got anything more to talk about," Roman said cockily. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"This conversation isn't over, Roman. You don't have any control here."

He grinned past the cigar. "Don't I…?"

Damn him, and damn his stupid-ass expression too. Sure, he had something she wanted, but there was no way he was as in control as he was pretending. He was just doing what she was; pretending to be confident and sassy to get an advantage. At the end of the day, if you acted like you had every right to do what you were doing; people would usually let you get away with it.

Yang flipped out another cigar and laid it on the table. Roman's eyes lit up.

"Well, you certainly know the way to my heart. Okay, I'll listen a little longer, but unless you've got a good deal in hand, you're not getting anything I know."

 _And how much do you even know?_ That was the real question. Much like Junior, his contacts would have gone silent when he was arrested, and it wasn't like the White Fang would have stuck to the same operations in the time he was locked up. Honestly, all his valued information was probably a bluff, and Roman knew as well as she did that it lost it was depreciating day after day.

 _Still, it's not like I have any other options._

"What kind of deal have you been holding onto that information for?"

"A plea arrangement or a reduced sentence…" Roman shrugged. "It probably won't make a difference though. I've been sent down for five hundred years."

"Five hundred…?"

"It's a symbolic thing. They want to show everyone they're hard on crimes like mine, so they come up with some stupid number and slap it on me. Wouldn't do to have someone like Roman Torchwick serving the same time as some random murderer, right?"

 _I guess not. Still, that's ten-times the length Junior and the Malachites went down for. Then again, they barely even had a role in Cinder's invasion. It sounds like this whole thing is about sending a message._

That would make her decision even worse, and there were bound to be consequences. The Council would be angry, and so would Ruby and the others. They'd flip their lids when they found out, and she'd probably lose her position at the VSPR over it. But… wasn't that going to happen anyway? Ozpin had thrown her to the wolves knowing, and even intending, for her to fail. The only way for her not to was to do something crazy.

"How would you like to get out of here?" she asked.

Roman froze. "Excuse me…?"

"You heard me. How would you like to get out of prison? You said you'd do a lot for a cigar. How much would you do for the freedom to go get your own, and a pay cheque to buy them with?"

"Are you toying with me?" he snarled. "You may think it amusing that I'm here, but-"

Yang's fist slammed onto the table, silencing him. "Answer the question."

"Anything. I'd do anything."

"Anything? That's a little vague, don't you think."

"Does it look like I have a choice, blo- Yang?" Roman held his arms out wide. "I'm stuck here until the day I die, or 'til I commit suicide, whichever comes first. You could strap a bomb to me and tell me I have to fight a thousand Beowolves with a spoon to earn my freedom and I'd take it." He leaned forward, his eyes desperate. "I'm out of options. I would do everything and anything. What other choice do I have?"

He meant it.

Yang drew out a sheet of paper she'd kept hidden in her folder. She pushed it across the table and gently placed a pen over it. When Roman looked at her, she nodded down for him to read it. She wasn't sure her voice would work, because this disgusted even her.

He'd been responsible for the robots that had helped attack Beacon. They'd almost killed her several times over. This… what she was doing here… it was a selfish decision and nothing more. Sure, Vale needed the VSPR, and this would help keep them going, but that wasn't the real motivation, and she couldn't afford to lie to herself.

 _This is all to get me back into Beacon. The others will hate me for it, but they'll get over it. They'll have to. Ozpin set me the challenge. I'm just fulfilling it._

Roman set the contract down with a shuffle of paper. His eyes were narrowed, but she could see the confusion and shock in them. She could also see the hope, as jaded as it was.

"Do you have any idea what you're suggesting?" he asked. "There's no way people will stand for this. Ozpin will go nuts, and it already sounds like you've got other crooks working for you in this little thing. There's a reason I wasn't given the chance in the first place."

"I know. They can't trust you, and to be honest, neither can I. Thing is, I have to make the VSPR work or Ozpin won't let me back into Beacon with my team." She despised telling _him_ of all people her reasons, but he'd not agree unless he knew. "If I want the VSPR to have any success, I need what you know. Letting you out _is_ a stupid decision, though. Even I can see that."

"Then why do it?"

Yang leaned forward, and she knew her eyes were much like his. Desperate, angry, but also tinged with bitter hope. She repeated the words he'd said before, forcing them out past gritted teeth. "I'm out of options. And much like you, I'll do anything to make this work."

Roman looked down at the contract one last time, and then to her eyes. Whatever he saw in them, he clearly recognised, for he nodded his head and reached for the pen.

/-/

"This won't stand!" the warden howled, following after them. "I'll never allow it."

"You don't have a choice," Yang replied.

"Then… then I'll inform the Council!"

"Go ahead." Yang pushed Roman into the back of the APC and waved for everyone else to climb in as well. The warden grabbed her shoulder before she could join them, and she had to hold back the urge to knock his hand off. "What?" she snapped. "I don't have time for this. You know full well I can do this, and I've shown you the paperwork."

It wasn't that she couldn't appreciate his anger. Of course she could! She hated the whole situation just as much as he did, but she didn't have a choice. Or at least she wasn't willing to take the other choice. She could full-well understand why he was so angry, but that still didn't mean she wanted it thrown at her.

"You won't get away with this," he said. "I'll go to the Council and they'll have your badge. You'll be out of a job so fast your head will spin, and those bastards will be right back where they belong; behind bars."

"And I repeat, go ahead." She flicked off his hand and rolled her eyes. "You do your thing, and I'll do mine. If they want to kick me off the VSPR, that's fine, but right now I'm in charge and that means we're driving away from here with Torchwick in tow. You can accept that or you can try and stop us." She pulled away and stepped into the back of the APC, calling out as she did. "The choice is yours, but we're leaving. Thanks for all the help."

"Drive?" Junior asked once she was in.

"Drive," she agreed. "Before he changes his mind and actually tries."

Wheels screeched as Junior pulled the vehicle into reverse, flipping them about the interior and slamming Yang's head back against the uncomfortable cushion behind her. They started to pull away, and at a speed far greater than the one they'd entered with. Honestly, she wouldn't have put it past the warden to try and close the gates on them.

"He _will_ tell the Council, you know," Roman said, smirk still in place as he sat on one of the seats. "And knowing those old fossils, they'll move quickly to try and get me back in a cell. I doubt you'll still be the Captain by tonight."

"That would be as bad for you as it is me," she pointed out.

"I know. That's why I'm warning you. If you have some kind of plan up your sleeve, now's the time to hear it."

"Her? A plan?" Miltia barked a laugh. "I doubt it."

"Now, Miltia," Melanie cooed. "We should give her a chance, no?"

Despite the words, it was clear neither of them had any faith in her. Then again, why should they? The last time they'd met, she'd threatened them for information, and the time before that she'd beaten them up and trashed their club.

"I don't doubt for a second he'll tell the Council on us, but if we have some concrete results before they can move to shut us down, they'll be forced to keep us running." Yang said. "We need to prove to them just how important we are, and the best way to do that will be to shut down a White Fang operation. Roman, do you know of any places they might be staying?"

The criminal in question raised an eyebrow, but did answer her. "I know of at least ten, but there's no telling whether those would still be in use. If I were them, I'd have moved on."

"But do you know of any way to find out where one is for sure?"

"I may still have some contacts who owe me favours," he said. "Some of them can be trusted more than others. Get me a scroll and I'll find out what I can." He blinked and caught hers as she threw it at him. "They're not wrong, though. I'm not sure shutting down one White Fang operation will be enough to balance letting me out. They'll thank us for the hard work, then shut us down anyway."

They might, and that was a risk she was just going to have to take. All she could do was work with what she had available and hope for the best. Like Uncle Qrow said, if it didn't work, then at least she'd know she'd tried her best.

Roman? Well, he wouldn't feel quite so satisfied with that answer, so she faked a smirk and cocked her head to the side.

"You leave that to me. I have a plan in mind."

"Care to share it?"

 _Sure, maybe when I think of one…_

The best she could hope for was a lucky miracle, but she knew as well as anyone that luck was made – not earned. If they wanted to strike gold, they'd need to start digging, and that meant finding some terrorists quickly. She gestured towards the scroll and breathed a sigh of relief when Roman started to dial.

This was all spiralling out of control, but she had to hold on for now. It would either work, and they'd be fine, or it wouldn't, and she'd have to wait a year before Beacon. Either way, it was better than doing nothing.

Until then, she'd just have to keep up the bravado so that these guys didn't realise she was basically taking a shot in the dark with their freedom.

"There's a pharmaceutical factory that's gone quiet recently," Roman said, handing the scroll back to her. "One of my contacts says White Fang have been seen in the area, but his pal was killed when he tried to investigate. He's only giving it to us because he wants revenge." He nodded to the scroll. "I've got the address saved on there."

It would do.

It'd have to.

"Junior," she said, handing it over. He took it and attached it to the dashboard, then swerved the APC up onto a slip road. Inside, Yang reached under her seat and tossed a duffel bag towards Roman. He caught it and looked at it inquisitively.

"That's your uniform. Get changed."

"You want us to head straight there?"

"I figure we've got an hour or two before the Council reacts to what happened," Yang said. "I'd like to have some proof they need us before then if possible. Still, if you want to take a break, we can wait. It's not _my_ freedom on the line."

Roman laughed and shook his head. He unzipped the bag and reached inside, and it was probably testament to how much he despised his prison clothes that he didn't complain at the blue and black uniform.

"Hey, I've already gone down because I followed the orders of one crazy bitch. Might as well give it a second try, I guess."

"Let's hope it works out better for us this time," Mercury said, eyes closed. "I don't think we'll get another chance."

They definitely wouldn't. Yang closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pit opening up in her stomach. Contrary to what she'd said, she hadn't put nearly as much time into training one-armed as she'd claimed to Ozpin. She'd been so focused on getting things back to normal, she hadn't even tried. Now she was headed to a factory taken over by terrorists, and in the company of a bunch of criminals.

Well, there was no way this could go wrong.

Right…?

* * *

 **Honestly, the real fun starts next chapter for me. This has all been set-up so far, but I've done my best to make it a quick one. I suppose that was a problem I used to have, where introductions could go on for a long time. Maybe three chapters still is too long. We'll have to see.**

 **I've also tried to make it clear how I see Yang in this chapter. I don't think she's an overly cerebral person, but I wouldn't call her stupid, either. If anything, I think she's quite rash – which is what led to her charging in against Adam without a plan, and what makes her current situation in this fic difficult for her.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

The Middivale Pharmaceutical Company was fairly well-known, though only in the sense that their branding appeared on most over-the-counter prescriptions across the city. Headache tablets, morning after pills and the usual painkillers. Yang had only ever used two out of the three, usually after a gruelling training session with her sister, but she knew the company's name, if nothing else about them. Never in her life had she imagined she'd be visiting one of their manufacturing plants, let alone be stuck in the back of an APC with several wanted criminals deciding how they were going to break in.

"I think we need a warrant," she said, leafing through Ozpin's folder and trying to figure out just what it was she was allowed to do. Not for the first time, she wished there'd been some training involved in their deal. She was basically skimming through the instruction manual as she went. "How fast can we get a warrant?"

"Not very," Junior replied. "Few days, at least..."

"We don't have days. We have…" Yang checked her scroll. There was already an unread message from Ozpin. "We have until Ozpin or the Council freak out and shut us down."

"How long does that give us?"

Her scroll pinged again. Another missed call from Ozpin.

"Not long." She flicked it to silent and put it away. "Junior, you know more about this than I do. What would need to happen for us to be able to skip the whole `warrant` thing?"

"I guess there'd have to be a crime in progress."

The APC pulled off the main road and through a set of open gates towards the factory. For all intents and purposes, it looked perfectly normal. There were cars parked outside and a pair of guards in uniform by a red and white barrier. They held one hand out to slow them down.

"Guards on a factory," Mercury said. "Isn't that a little weird?"

"Not as much as you'd think, kiddo," Roman replied, puffing on a cigar. "Dangerous chemicals and drugs in there, and you don't want someone trying to smuggle them out or break in. Pharmaceuticals are big business, too. Industrial sabotage and spying is fairly common, so they can have their own security forces."

"They're not going to let us in," Junior warned. "White Fang or not, they know we need a warrant. They'll send us away."

Yang cursed. That couldn't happen. They needed to make this work, and she had a sinking suspicion she'd need to go through Ozpin to get a warrant. He'd have her back in Patch before she could blink, and that would be the end of it all.

"Roman, you're sure they're White Fang?"

"That's what my contact said. I'd be willing to bet my freedom on it." He grinned. "Heh, guess I already am."

"Do I stop?" Junior asked.

Yang nodded, mind whirling as she tried to think up some kind of plan. The APC slowly ground to a halt, and although the guards that approached _were_ faunus, there was nothing to indicate them as terrorists.

"How can we help you, officers?"

"We're here to have a little look around," Yang said.

"What for?"

"Stuff…" Yang shrugged in what she hoped was a confident manner. "It's police work."

"We didn't hear anything about this."

"It's a random spot check."

"I don't see any paperwork, officer."

"I have an APC full of armed and hungry men and we're all out of doughnuts. That count?"

"I think I'll need to see a warrant, I'm afraid. It's a busy day in there. More than my job's worth to let you disturb the workforce." The dog faunus smiled indulgently. "You know how it is, right? Tell you what, you nip back and grab a warrant and I'll let you through – even show you around myself."

Yeah, and in the time it took they'd ship out of the place, leaving her stuck back on square one. Yang opened her mouth to try and wheedle past, but paused when a hand fell on her shoulder. Mercury winked at her as he shifted over so that he was knelt beside her, arms resting on the back of the passenger seat. "Let me have a go," he whispered.

He had a plan? Well, it couldn't be any worse than the nothing she had. Yang nodded and shifted to the side, so that she was behind Junior. She wondered what Mercury had in store, since it was pretty clear those guys weren't going to let them through.

"So," Mercury said, smirking lazily. "We know you're White Fang, you know you're White Fang, and we're going to burst through this gate and kill you all. What do you think of that?"

Yang choked on air. Behind her, she heard Roman mumble something about impulsive idiots.

The guard actually froze for a second, his face too shocked to process words, but he recovered quickly – and not in the way a normal person should have. His eyes narrowed and his weapon came up. The other also ducked back, shouldering his rifle. Yang's head ducked low even before the first dust rounds ricocheted off the bullet-proof window Junior was frantically winding up.

"What the fuck was that!?" Miltia howled.

"Our warrant," Mercury yelled back. "I think this means there's a crime in progress." He grinned at Yang. "Did I do good!?"

She wanted to strangle him, but she settled for pointing past Junior's face instead. "DRIVE!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Under fire, and with more faces and guns appearing outside the factory's main entrance, Junior slammed his foot down on the pedal, causing the wheels to shriek against the tarmac as several tonnes of steel lurched forwards. They crashed through the red and white barrier, and lurched over a smaller barrier set to slow vehicles down. The White Fang members dove to either side, but Yang didn't catch anything else as the momentum flung her forward over Junior's shoulder.

She crashed into the windscreen, and then slipped down over Junior's body as he frantically clawed at the wheel. Her head ended up down by his feet, her feet up by his, and though she couldn't see what was going on, it didn't take a genius to hear the rattle of gunfire against their vehicle.

"Where do I park?" Junior asked.

"You don't!" Yang snarled, pushing her hand down on the accelerator. "Keep driving!"

"Where!? Where do I go?"

"I don't care. Just get us in there and out of this!"

Junior followed her words to the letter, though she soon wished he hadn't. With gunfire raining down and no obvious place to stop – let alone her hand on the pedal not letting him – the bartender turned criminal turned police officer aimed the APC towards the nearest wall and clung on for dear life. Someone shouted something in a panic, maybe Miltia, maybe Melanie. It was hard to tell. Two words made it through, however.

"HOLD ON!"

The noise was horrendous. It sounded like a tin can caught in a hailstorm, except that the hail was composed of heavy bricks, and the tin can was much larger and heavier, causing the sound to reverberate wildly. The APC bumped, too, and Yang's body was flung up to bounce off the ceiling. She fell back down on Junior's lap, but rolled off when the back wheels cleared the floor, making the huge, steel behemoth lurch violently forward.

It stopped just as suddenly. There was a loud skidding sound, a crash, and then nothing but a faint silence occasionally interspersed with a loose brick crumbling down to clank against the metal roof. Yang dared to breathe, her body aching despite her aura.

"Well," Mercury said. "We're in. I guess it worked?"

There was a noise like flesh meeting flesh. When Yang dragged herself up out of the foot well, she saw Mercury rubbing his cheek and Miltia cradling her fist. Yang nodded to the girl. Mercury was lucky it wasn't _her_ fist.

"Not quite the entrance I expected," Roman said, picking pieces of squashed cigar and ash off his face. He winced as some burned his skin. "Still, I guess this means we know they're White Fang."

"Fucking yay for us," Miltia growled.

"Language," Melanie teased, slapping her sister's arm. She looked to Yang. "What's the plan, boss?"

Plan? Were they joking? Her whole strategy was to get in, stop the White Fang, and prove she could do this. It didn't exactly come with detailed stages or any specific tactics. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to say that, though, so Yang nodded and pushed her way over to the back entrance, twisting the latch one-handed.

"We need to stop the White Fang."

"All of them?"

Yang nodded. The wheel turned and the door pushed open, dislodging brick and rubble which rained down before her. No gunfire came in, but she'd known they were alone since they would have opened fire long before. She could hear people shouting and moving in the distance, however. No alarm had been raised, probably because that would alert the police, the last thing the White Fang wanted.

"Spread out and deal with any you come across. We don't actually know what they're here for, so it's not like there's an objective we can work with. We'll just arrest them all."

"Just arrest them, she says." Junior shook his head and looked at their damaged APC. "We're going to need a bigger truck."

"Bigger cells, too," Mercury pointed out. "The ones back at the HQ are only fit for twenty or so. No telling how many grunts there are here."

"Then we'd best get to it," Yang said, falling into an uneasy leadership role. "Miltia and Melanie, you two are together, the same for Mercury and Junior. You guys should be able to handle terrorists, right?"

Mercury grinned, the handprint on his face still visible. "I think we'll manage."

"Still don't trust me?" Roman chuckled, stepping out behind her. "I'm hurt."

He was damn right she didn't trust him. If there was anyone at her back she wanted less, it was him, but at the same time, she didn't trust him running off on his own. He'd sneak away the first chance he got.

"Someone's sure to have heard all that noise," Mercury pointed out. "We should move quickly before the police arrive."

"We _are_ the police, idiot."

"Oh, yeah…" He blinked owlishly. "Man, it feels _weird_ being on the other side."

"Enough chatter," Yang sighed. "Move out!"

/-/

"You're an asshole. You know that, right?"

Mercury shrugged absent-mindedly, walking alongside Junior as they swept the corridors of the factory. They'd only come across one White Fang member so far, and he'd been quick to knock the guy out. Junior had handcuffed him to a nearby pipe, but they'd been forced to leave the guy behind.

"Asshole, genius," Mercury said, making some vague gestures with his hands. "The two aren't so far apart. I got us in, didn't I?"

"By getting us attacked!"

"Like that wasn't going to happen anyway. We're here to smash these guys. Why wait?"

Junior shot him a sideways look. "Why are you so excited about this anyway? Weren't you partly responsible for all this happening in the first place?"

Any other man might have felt guilty, but not Mercury. He laughed and linked his hands behind his head, keeping pace with the older man. "Probably," he admitted. "We got up to a lot, mostly on Cinder's orders. Not like I've got any loyalty to these guys, though. If it's a choice between saving my skin or theirs, I know which I'm taking." He raised an eyebrow. "I imagine it's the same with you."

"Hmm…" Junior grunted and kept his eyes ahead.

A small group of White Fang grunts rounded the corner ahead. One looked in their direction and quickly pointed, shouting out to the others. "There they are! Kill them!"

"You think we need a warrant to take them out?" Mercury asked as he ducked behind a vending machine as Junior scrambled for cover on the other side. "I wouldn't want to break any rules. I'm a reformed man, you know."

"Reformed, my ass." Junior extended his huge weapon and pushed something into the back of it. With a nod, he stepped out into the corridor and took a second to aim down it. Several shots pinged off his aura, but that didn't stop him sending a rocket hurtling towards their enemies. It exploded somewhere behind them, hurtling smoke and plaster over the faunus as they were thrown to the floor.

"I think a rocket launcher counts as excessive force."

"Oh, stuff it," Junior growled, loading another. "You going to get down there and help, or sit here bitching at me?"

"Careful, old man. You might sprain a hip yelling like that." Mercury laughed, but darted out of cover nonetheless. The hail of bullets had all but halted now that the enemy were shell-shocked, and he rushed down the hall at full speed.

One of the White Fang recovered quicker than expected and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He saw Mercury coming, cried out a warning, and tried to bring his gun to bear. He squeezed off a shot, but Mercury kicked off the floor and slapped a hand against the wall, using it as a plant to send him up and over the faunus.

He landed behind, and a quick augmented kick to the head put the faunus down. He pivoted and snapped out behind, catching another in the chest as he tried to stand, and launching him back into his friends. They fell like skittles, and Mercury skipped to the side as another rocket passed through the space he'd occupied. It detonated among the White Fang, lifting their bodies like ragdolls to crash into the walls and ceiling, but not killing any thanks to their aura.

"Hey, watch it," Mercury shouted back. "You almost hit me!"

"You dodged," Junior said, strolling up to him.

"And if I hadn't?"

"Then you wouldn't be complaining. At any rate, that's a win-win for me."

"Tch, bastard." Mercury kicked one of the unconscious terrorists, and then kicked him again when he groaned. Not quite as unconscious as he pretended, eh? He was now. There had to be at least six of them strewn about the hallway. "What do we do about this lot? I only have two pairs of cuffs, and you used one of yours. We kill them?"

"I think our new Captain might have something to say about that."

"If she finds out." Mercury knelt by one of the faunus and lifted his head up, moving the mouth like a marionette. "Rargh, we were infected by a zombie virus and went insane. The brave members of the VSPR were forced to kill us in self-defence!"

Junior cocked an eyebrow.

"Too macabre?"

"Too unbelievable."

"We're in a pharmaceutical factory."

"For painkillers, not something out of a video game." Junior rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the White Fang members by his arms, dragging him to the side of the corridor. "I don't think zombies is going to make for a good excuse."

"Fifty lien says they're at least _trying_ to make a zombie virus."

Junior paused. "You serious?"

"Sure, I mean come on. What else do you think terrorists want at a place like this? I doubt they're moving into vitamin supplements. I'm not saying they'll manage it, but these guys are dumb as mud. I bet they're at least trying."

"Huh, you're on. Fifty lien. Here, help me drag these guys."

Mercury watched Junior for a second before he shrugged and pushed off the wall, moving to help. He took the faunus woman's legs and hoisted her up. "Where we taking them?" He looked up to the door. "You want to lock them in the toilets?"

"You got a better idea?"

No. Not really. Mercury shrugged and hoisted the woman a little higher. It took them five minutes or more to haul all the faunus in, and then another few minutes for Junior to work the handcuffs in such a way as to immobilise them all. One woman had her ankle cuffed to a guy's wrist, with the chain wrapped around the toilet bowl – only for his other hand to go under the cubicle into the next, connecting to another man's wrist. It went on like that, with the prisoners strewn between four different cubicles.

Mercury stared at Junior, eyes wide.

Junior stared back. "What?"

"Where the hell do you learn to do something like that?"

"Around," Junior said noncommittally. "You pick things up."

"Pick things up…? Where would you pick this up, a BDSM club?"

Junior's silence was telling.

Mercury's eyes lit up. "Seriously!?"

"That's none of your business," Junior growled as he pushed his way out the door.

Mercury followed with a shit-eating grin. There was no way he was going to let this one go.

/-/

"Please, no! Don't hurt me, I surrender!" The White Fang member, who was really too young for the job, cried out in pain as something red and sharp pierced his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. His whimpers were cut off a second later as something hard struck him around the side of the head. He slumped down to the floor, bleeding from his wound.

Heeled footsteps echoed around the corner. "Miltia, did you-" Melanie paused and took in the scene. "Oh for crying out loud, Miltia. Why!?"

"He was resisting arrest," Miltia protested, though not very successfully. She hid her blood-stained claw behind her back, but realised it was probably a little pointless given the four or so bleeding terrorists strewn about the floor. "They all resisted arrest."

"Did you even think to interrogate one of them?"

She blinked. "We have things we want to know?"

"Well, no… but still, I think it's a rule. At the very least, I'm sure we're supposed to shout that it's the police and give them a chance to surrender."

"He wouldn't have surrendered," Miltia said sagely, also dishonestly. "He was too loyal to the cause." She kicked the poor guy's side and he fell over. "Anyway, what's the deal? Police brutality happens all the time. Honestly, I think it would be more suspicious if we didn't hurt them."

"Miltia…"

"They're faunus," she said. "That means they're a minority group. Hell, I'm probably a saint compared to what they normally get."

Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes, not for the first or last time wondering where she'd gone wrong growing up with her short-tempered sister. Her bladed heels clicked lightly as she stepped over the bodies. It wasn't like she particularly cared for them either, but their freedom was still just that. They had to play ball. For now.

"Yeah, but it's not what police _supposed_ to do, even if some do it anyway. Just keep in mind what we're meant to do next time," she said. "No point pissing off Blondie."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Miltia sighed petulantly and followed her twin down the corridor, waiting to be ambushed as much as actively searching out the White Fang. They'd all be converging on them anyway, so why waste the energy? "You think this'll be enough to keep us going?" she asked. "I mean, yeah, we're stopping the terrorists like we're meant to, but I don't know if one good mission will make up for months of failure. Or Torchwick," she added.

"No idea. Guess we'll have to wait and see." Melanie nodded to a double set of doors, one on the left and another on the right. "I'll take right," she said. "Deal with the left."

Miltia nodded and slipped over to her side, one hand on the woodwork. At Melanie's signal she kicked the door open and pushed inside, claws ready. Since her sister was nearby, she decided to make a show of it, too. "VSPR! Freeze or I'll cut you!" She paused. "Oh, and you should probably surrender, too. You might have rights but I don't know them and even if I did, I probably wouldn't care!"

Thirty or so terrified faces stared back, though no one screamed, mostly because of the duct-tape over their mouths. They definitely did a good `freeze` impression. Maybe Mel was right about the whole shouting thing.

"No White Fang here," Melanie called. "You?"

"None," Miltia said, closing the door and walked after her sister. "Just a bunch of tied up losers."

"Ah, cool."

It took Melanie a good minute to process what Miltia had just said, and a minute more to realise her sister wasn't joking. With a put-upon sigh, she threw her hands in the air and turned back. She caught Miltia's arm en route, dragging her reluctant sister with her.

"Oh, come on, Mel. They'll get in our way. They'll scream and panic. They'll be _annoying_."

"They're hostages, Miltia," Melanie said, pushing the door back open and looking inside. True to her sister's word, the employees and managers of the facility were tied up within. They looked terrified as she entered, and then relieved when they saw she wasn't a faunus.

Then back to terrified again when a blood-soaked Miltia followed behind.

"We need to get them out," Melanie said.

"Do we, though?"

"Miltia!"

"I'm just saying, sis," Miltia held her arms wide, claws scraping on the door. "They'll be loud and obvious, not to mention incapable of taking a bullet. Where would we even take them anyway, our buried APC?"

As much as she hated to admit it, her sister had a point. If the White Fang from before were still outside, then these guys would be shot to pieces, and nothing said `back to a cell` quicker than losing a bunch of hostages.

"Okay, fine. We'll leave them here."

"MFHHH!" Several of the hostages complained, apparently not thrilled with her decision.

Melanie sighed. This really wasn't her cup of tea, the whole making decisions thing. She was a bouncer, a fighter and an occasional lover. Junior and Blondie were elsewhere, though, which meant it was either her or Miltia. It was an easy choice.

With a roll of her eyes, Melanie crouched down before the most well-dressed and oldest hostage, a bald-headed man with frightened eyes. "Look, how likely are you to panic and scream if I take the gag off?" she asked. "You scare easily?"

A pungent smell reached her nose, and her face twisted as she noticed a puddle grow underneath him. He slumped to the side unconscious, and several of the other hostages pushed themselves away with disgusted expressions.

"Great," Melanie sighed. "Just wonderful. Any of you _not_ a complete bitch?"

"Mrfl," a woman in a suit opined. "Urfl."

"Yeah, I don't speak muffle." Melanie reached forward and tore the strip off the woman's mouth, ignoring the way the businesswoman bit down on a scream of pain. "Hey, not bad," she complimented. "I take it you were volunteering, right? If not, I'm putting the tape back on."

"I-I'll be quiet," the woman whispered. "W-What do you want from us?"

"Ideally? I want you to stay here, barricade the room and call the police while my sister and I deal with some terrorists."

"Also don't leave the room," Miltia advised. "It's a mess out there."

Yeah, no thanks to her. Melanie rolled her eyes and looked to the woman, silently questioning whether she could do as asked. It was hardly a complicated request, but normal people didn't exactly have courage in spades – not when dealing with armed terrorists, anyway.

"I-I can do it," the woman whispered. "I promise."

"Good on you." Melanie flipped her foot forward and cut the woman's bonded hands, standing back up a second later and heading to the door. "The rest of you stay quiet until the police come. Don't get it in your heads to try and break out or anything. You'll get yourselves killed."

"Wait," the woman called, right before Melanie and Miltia left the room. "Why are we calling the police? Aren't _you_ police!?"

The Malachite twins looked at one another for a long moment.

"It's complicated," Melanie said, sighing.

Miltia nodded. "Very complicated."

/-/

"I'm not exactly feeling the trust here, Yang." Roman twirled his cane in one hand, smiling winningly despite the girl walking a pace behind him at all times with her gun drawn. His confidence might have had something to do with hot ineffectual that was against him. "I mean, here I am, helping you rid the city of the baddies of the world out of the goodness of my heart, and you're treating me like nothing more than a common criminal."

"I wonder why," Yang sniped. "Keep walking, buster, and keep dealing with any White Fang we come across."

"Yes, Yang."

"That's Captain to you."

"Ah, ah, ah-" Roman waved a finger teasingly. "You asked me to call you by name in the prison. Far be it for me to go back on that agreement." He chuckled to himself, like he'd told the funniest joke in the world. "Since when did you start using a gun anyway? I thought you liked things close up."

She did, but lacking an arm and faced with someone as strong as him, she'd take what she could get. Besides, using a handgun wasn't too different from what she'd done before. She still had Ember Celica on her one hand. The gun was just a bonus.

"I'm trying to get used to a new fighting style," she said.

"One armed style? Most of the kids I see like dual wield more."

"You're a real bastard. You know that, right?"

"Yep." Roman's shoulders rose and fell. "I guess you'll give me the full story on why you're so desperate another time, huh?"

Yang watched him warily. "What do you mean?"

"Don't try to hide it. You're on-edge, and not just from the White Fang. You've dealt with these chumps before. You're panicked and frightened, and that's made you desperate. I want to know why."

"It's none of your business," she spat.

"Kind of is if you're my boss."

"I doubt it's the first time you've worked under a woman who didn't tell you anything. You should be used to it by now."

Roman chuckled. "Touché, but to be fair, Cinder was a monster."

"And I'm not?"

"No." He smiled over his shoulder at her. "Not yet, anyway."

"Not ever, Torchwick. I'm a proud Huntress."

"Look like a Police Officer to me."

She bit down on the instinctive response, and the rush of anger that came with it. A point for him there, not that she'd admit it. She gestured for him to keep moving instead, taking solace in the little control she had.

As they moved deeper into the facility, Roman's snark faded away, his steps becoming lighter as they both heard gunfire above, followed by two explosions. "Sounds like Junior," Roman whispered. "No one else here uses explosives."

"Sounds like they're busy," Yang replied.

"Busy means alive and alive means winning. I don't think we need to back them up." He cocked his head to the side and pointed at a map adorning the wall. It looked like it was for tour groups or something, and had a big `you are here` arrow on it. "Anywhere you want to check in particular?" he asked.

Yang hesitated. Her gut-instinct thus far had been to bluster and bluff her way through, but she didn't actually know anything about this – either from a police or a criminal perspective. He did, however. The question was if she dared to ask him? Would it make her look weak, or did she just look belligerent for not bothering in the first place?

"What do you think?"

Roman was surprised. "Huh?"

"Where would you suggest," Yang repeated, frowning slightly. "You're the crook here, Roman, and you've worked with these guys before. Where do you think the most important place to be is?"

"The place to check, huh?" Roman crossed his arms and inspected the map, humming under his breath. Yang's patience slowly evaporated, but he started speaking before it could break completely. "Depends what they're here for, really. The White Fang don't attack places randomly. When we struck out for dust, we infiltrated warehouses to store it and robbed stores to get it. If they've taken over a place like this, they must have some use for it."

"Could they be trying to steal medical supplies?" she asked.

"Unlikely. If that was the case, they'd be in and out already. They've taken over, which means they want something in the long-term." Roman shrugged and relaxed. "Could be they want to keep making medical supplies, though. Could be something worse."

"Worse…?"

"Wouldn't put it past them. They're terrorists and killers." His eyes pierced hers. "And like you, they're desperate. There isn't much a person won't do when they feel they haven't got any other choice."

Yang didn't disagree. Couldn't. She'd been willing to risk everything, and then defy Ozpin to make this work. How far would the White Fang be willing to go?

Further, no doubt.

"We're hitting the manufacturing line," Yang said, pointing to a part of the map where most of the machinery was. "Whatever they're making here, I've got a feeling we want to stop. Anything else is secondary."

"Just the two of us…?"

"Scared?"

Roman rolled his eyes, but she caught the way he stood a little taller. Narcissist that he was, he couldn't afford to let that go, even if it was true. "More worried I'll get my clothes dirty. These don't exactly come cheap and I don't have any other pairs. Well, not unless any of my safe houses are still standing."

"If they are, I'll be shutting them down. Come on. We've got terrorists to stop."

/-/

It took them a little while to reach the manufacturing area, but the loud noises from several machines led them to it. She was surprised there wasn't more in the way of people stopping them, but it was possible the people on the floor hadn't heard all the commotion. When she and Roman came out onto a mezzanine walkway overlooking the area, she understood why. Faunus worked below, many still in their White Fang uniforms, but to a one, they each had a pair of bright yellow protective ear-protectors on. Some had even taken to stuffing their animal ears with things, mostly to cut out the heavy and pounding noise of the industrial machines.

The White Fang were actually working the factory… they were continuing operations as normal, but the question was why.

Roman whispered something, or said it, really, but the volume whipped it away before it reached her ears. He frowned and tried again, before he eventually had to raise his voice and half-shout just to be heard. Even then, the people below wouldn't have been able to hear him.

"Looks like they're making something!"

"Yeah, but what?" she shouted back.

Roman pointed something out to her, and Yang's eyes narrowed as she watched a faunus operating a forklift truck move up to the end of one of the supply lines. Two others moved to stack boxes on the vehicle, and when it was full, he moved it over to a lorry which had its back end slotted into the factory wall. "Whatever it is, they're shipping it elsewhere."

She nodded, and then nodded again to an office overlooking the factory. It had a window which watched proceedings. She could see a figure behind the glass.

"Interrogate him?" Roman asked.

Yang nodded. "It's our best shot."

"Got it." Roman moved across the walkway, slowly at first, but eventually he just stood up and walked casually. Yang did, too, kind of amazed that no one had noticed them. To be fair, most of the faunus below were hard at work, and those that weren't were probably being kept busy by Junior, Mercury and the Malachites. They made it to the office unchallenged, and Roman paused at the door, one hand on the handle.

Yang pressed her shoulder against it and nodded.

The door slammed open, the sound reverberating, but only about the room. There were three faunus inside, two more than expected, but Roman acted quickly and opened fire on one before he could move. He only had the time to stand before he was knocked down and out, and the dangerous criminal sprinted for the second, leaving Yang to tackle the foreman at the window.

She did so around his waist, using her shoulder and weight to drag him down to the floor with her on top. He was a deer faunus. That was all she had the time to note before she felt his fist impact her left cheek. She grunted and took it, delivering a stronger – semblance empowered – blow in return. He flinched once, and then fell still, eyes drifting shut as he slumped down.

When she stood up, it was to see Roman with his cane over the throat of the final one, his body behind as he kept the faunus pinned, but not choked.

Yang stalked up to him. "What are you guys making down there?"

"F-Fuck you!" The faunus tried to spit, but Roman had his body angled back. What spittle came out splattered across the man's own chin.

"Wrong answer," Yang gritted. "We're with the VSPR and you're under arrest. Answer my question and we'll be as lenient as we can be. What are they doing?"

"Taking back what's ours, one step at a time. Just like Adam did in-"

"Is he here!?" Yang's fingers gripped the man's face, almost crushing it. "Is. Adam. Here?"

"Y-You'll never find him, human."

Yang growled and squeezed a little tighter, but Roman interrupted her before she could do something she might regret. "He's not here. If he was, this wouldn't have been so easy. Besides, they wouldn't waste someone as strong as him on keeping a place like this going."

She let go of the man's chin and stepped back. There was no arguing against Roman's logic. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Part of her was relieved… a small, frightened part of her. She was ashamed to admit it was even there, but that man – that monster – had affected her. Almost enough to make her freak out and break a man's jaw. She sent Roman a grateful nod for stopping her.

As for interrogating the guy, though…? She was out of ideas. This wasn't something she'd ever done before. She looked to Roman pleadingly, and he seemed to catch her meaning. With a quick move, he moved his cane away and slammed the man's face down into the wooden desk he'd sat behind. Not enough to knock him out, but enough to make it clear they were serious.

"One more try, pal," Roman said. "Don't try to convince me an animal like you sits behind a Middivale desk. Not happening. You and your pals took over, but you've kept it awfully quiet. Why? What's this place got that you want?"

"Money."

"Don't make me laugh." Roman banged the faunus' head again. "You want money you go to a bank or a dust store. These guys might have a lot of zeroes on their bank accounts, but it's not like they store it here. What are your boys cooking down there?"

"Chicken curry."

"Cannibalism, huh? Well, can't say I blame you. That stuffs tasty." Roman's cane came around to rest on one of the man's hands, which he'd placed flat on the table to try and push himself up. The metal pushed down, and Yang winced when she heard the man whimper. "Let's try again, though. There's an old saying about bones in the body, but I was never very good at biology _or_ poetry. Let's just say I'm going to break things until you tell me, and it's going to take a _long_ time."

"I'll nev-eee!"

"One," Roman said, lifting his cane back up. One of the faunus' fingers was bent at an unnatural angle. "Shall we try for number two?"

"Roman," Yang hissed, catching his cane before it could move again. Her eyes were bright red. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"You want answers or not?" he returned. "I thought you were keen to make this work. He has answers we need. Is this as far as your determination goes?"

Was it? Was she willing to accept something like this for a chance back into Beacon? To Yang's eternal shame, she wasn't able to find an immediate answer. She hesitated. Ruby would have been horrified, but Yang had never been as kind, as strong-willed, or gentle as her. Would she really countenance something like this?

She wasn't sure.

And the faunus noticed her silence.

"N-No, wait. In the desk – the documents there will explain it, I promise!"

Roman raised an eyebrow, but knocked the man out quickly enough, tossing his body back into the seat. He stepped forward to raid the desk and flashed Yang a grin. "Not bad. Not bad at all. You actually had me going there. I thought you were going to let me keep doing it. He certainly believed so."

"Y-Yeah…" Yang looked away. "I guess I'm a good actor…"

She swallowed her disgust, along with the relief from his quick surrender.

"Financial forecasts, invoices, random crap…" Roman listed them off as he pulled paper out and let it fall to the floor. "Oh, what's this?" He drew back up, a clipboard in hand. "Recipe changes on PKX, dated two days back. You know the stuff?"

"Painkillers," Yang said. "It stands for painkiller extra strong or something. You can buy it just about anywhere. What do you mean the recipe has changed?"

"What I said." Roman handed the clipboard over. "They're adding stuff to it."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Damned if I know. If you can read that, you tell me."

Yang looked down, but gave up a second later. The chemicals listed were things she'd never heard of before, the kind of thing you'd need a chemistry degree to understand. There weren't any details in layman's term, but she wasn't sure they were needed anyway. What else could the White Fang be putting in one of Vale's most commonplace medicine?

It wouldn't be sugar, spice and everything nice.

"We're shutting this place down. We have to figure out what's going into that stuff."

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes widened a second later. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her down and out of sight of the window. It shattered a second later, pouring glass down over both their forms.

"They saw us?" Yang hissed.

Roman shook his head. "Not the White Fang. Look!"

Yang did, and cursed at what she saw. She would have heard it first normally, but with the machines all going, she hadn't caught a thing. Seeing was a different matter. Red and blue lights flashed through the windows of the factory, and a dark shadow whizzed by overhead, visible through the skylights in the ceiling. Out of the main gates, down by the loading bays, she could see the distinctive flashing lights and shapes of police cars.

The White Fang had seen them too, downing tools and drawing arms. What had once been a scene of industrial work had turned into a battle zone, with terrorists and police exchanging fire. Screams, sirens and gunshots started to fill the air.

And they were stuck in the middle of it.

/-/

"It occurs to me that letting that broad call the cops might have been a mistake," Miltia said, whistling at the sight of the police blockade. "And you called _my_ response police brutality. At least I didn't just open fire."

"Miltia…?"

"Hm?"

"Shut up."

* * *

 **I almost lost all of this today due to servers going down and corrupting the file when it was around 4k words in. Was very close to just throwing my hands in the air and telling you all no update this week, but I instead wracked my mind and re-wrote it all from scratch as best I could. Hopefully, I didn't miss anything.**

 **Ugh, what a pain in the ass. Put me in a bad mood all day.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go. For those who asked, I've not actually seen Suicide Squad, so while I'd normally say "don't worry" about me following its storyline, I suppose there is an accidental chance. I don't expect it, though. When I said this was inspired by it, I only mean in the criminals concept. Originally, this fic was planned as having OC's, but I kept trying to think of ways around it.**

 **I considered having Beacon fall, and the remaining teams taking this job as all that was left, but that didn't feel right. Nor did re-writing it all as a police AU where Beacon was a police academy. In the end, Suicide Squad just provided the idea of criminals being recruited to serve. That was all.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

"You can't keep worrying about Yang," Blake said, taking Ruby by the shoulders and pushing her down onto the common room's sofa. "She'll be fine. She's angry right now-"

"She's right to be," Ruby groaned.

"And she has a right to be," Blake agreed calmly, "but she'll calm down in time. This is for the best. You know it is. She's lost an arm. She can be a huntress in time, but she can't just slot back in like nothing ever happened. I know she's strong, and she's always been confident, but for a person who fights with her fists to suddenly lose one? Something has to change. She at least needs to learn a different fighting style. That'll take time."

"I know, I know." Ruby let herself be pushed down. She did know this was for the best, and she did agree with it. Heck, everyone did. Dad, Ozpin, her team. It didn't mean they liked it – of course they didn't – but they all knew Yang needed time to adapt. They'd all trained from a young age to get where they were now. After losing an arm, it would take at least six to twelve months to get back to the level she was at, if she ever could.

If only Yang realised that, too. _She's angry,_ Ruby told herself. _She's just upset because we were supposed to tell her and we were too frightened to. Ugh, I'm the worst sister ever._

"Maybe some TV will distract you," Blake said, accurately reading her inner turmoil. She grabbed the remote and flicked it on, settling down beside her.

" _Lisa Lavender here, reporting live from Middivale Pharmaceuticals where the White Fang have engaged in an armed firefight with the Vale Police Department. No news yet on what they want, but there are reports of hostages kept inside."_

Ruby winced and glanced over to Blake, who was suddenly gripping the remote so hard it cracked. Well, distraction accomplished, she supposed, but not in a good way. Now she had to keep her teammate from rushing off on another one of her White Fang campaigns.

"Calm down, Blake," she whispered, gripping her arm in case she tried to make a run for it. "This is already happening, and besides, the police are there. It would take half an hour for us to get there. This'll be over by then."

Blake clearly didn't like the thought, but knew better than to argue. She let out a long sigh and slumped back with a frown. "I know you're right, Ruby. It's just… you know how it is. I wish they'd just stop."

"They'll be stopped," Ruby promised. "Look, this has been going on for a while. I bet there is already a team of kick-ass Huntsman en route. Heck, I bet they're already _in_ there!"

"You think?" Blake asked with an amused smile.

"I do," Ruby said, nodding confidently. "You'll see. Everything will be just fine."

/-/

Everything was not fine. Those were the thoughts to cross Yang's mind as she leapt over a collection of crates and landed on the other side, just in time for gunfire to rake the air above her, pinging off the wall opposite in a shower of sparks.

"Nice of you to join me," Roman said from beside her. He looped his cane over the top and fired blindly. "How is it out there?"

"Hostile." Yang slammed a clip into her handgun and echoed Roman's actions. She'd have used Ember Celica, or what was left of it, but that required a little more aiming and she wasn't exactly keen to poke her head out of cover. "You got any ideas?"

"If I had any, don't you think I'd be doing something?"

"So, you're useless."

"You're the Captain. I'm just a private, rookie… whatever they call new police officers." Roman winced as a bullet pierced through the wooden crate by his shoulder. He fired off a few more rounds. "To be fair, my usual tactic in this spot is to run."

"We can't run," Yang answered immediately.

"Yeah, I figured. Ugh, this is why I never wanted to be a good guy, you know? It's always `no, we can't run` or `no, we must die heroically`. Pah, as if that's any use." He fired a few more shots. "Why can't it all be about caution, careful planning and easy work? No, we have to be loud and obvious, dressed like idiots and wielding over-sized garden tools."

Yang raised an eyebrow to the rather obvious mention of her sister. "You done?"

"Just getting it out my system."

Another set of shots pinged over their heads, but one caught a metallic barrel ahead of them and pierced it. Thoughts of dust and the resultant explosion shot through her mind, but what leaked out wasn't volatile granules, but rather a thick, viscous liquid.

"Don't hit the mixture!" someone screamed.

The gunfire halted.

Yang stared at the white fluid, which was a little brighter than see-through. It oozed down onto the tiled floor and towards them. Roman stared at it, too.

"I'm not a chemist," he said, "but I have a feeling we don't want to inhale that."

"Isn't this place for medicine?"

"All medicine is poisonous in enough quantities. I think a barrel of the stuff counts." Roman took the moment's reprieve as a chance to stand up and aim two shots over their barricade. The red dust he fired exploded on impact and sent the White Fang scattering.

Yang leapt over while she had the chance, putting the crates between the gunk and herself. "Let's move. Find more cover – where are the others? Why aren't the police storming the place?"

"Something's holding them back," Roman replied, chasing after her and throwing himself down behind a piece of machinery. While their aura might have allowed them to tank shots and maybe even close the distance, there were far too many terrorists, and they were spread out. They'd be riddled with bullets.

Something on Yang's collar crackled to life.

" _Hey, can you hear me? Is this thing on?"_

She glanced down at her collar, noticing for the first time the little black microphone sewn into it. A communications system of some sort. "Mercury?"

" _Hey, it works. How about that. So, yeah, we've cleared the upper levels. Not much up here, boss."_ Several bullets whizzed past her head. _"Whoa, sounds like you're having more fun than we are. Where are you?"_

"Main factory floor. We-" Yang spotted a masked man trying to flank her and quickly squeezed off two shots, pushing him back. "We're in a bit of a bind."

"Just a little!" Roman called, firing wildly.

"Can you back us up?" she asked. "Your only chance of staying free is if you help this mission work out."

" _I know, I know. Sheesh, no trust whatsoever. We're on our way. Hold out for a bit."_

That was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one trusting his life to a confirmed criminal. Still, he'd come, if only to make sure his one and only hope for continued freedom didn't get killed. Not that she would on this. She peeked her head around the corner but was forced to pull it back a second later, bullets flying past. Eventually, the White Fang would run out of ammo; that or the police would push them from behind.

As if to taunt that very thought, the police suddenly stopped firing. Worse, the White Fang seemed to anticipate it, for they turned their weapons inwards, aiming at them.

"What the hell?" Roman cried. "The one time I actually _want_ the VPD to start shooting and they don't. What's going on with those morons?"

"I don't know." Yang leaned her arm over the top of the production line, aiming for a brief second before Ember Celica unleashed its buckshot. It tore through the air, sending three faunus diving into cover and one slower individual to the ground. He clutched at his chest, but his aura had prevented any bloodshed. "I'll call the twins," she said. "Keep me covered!"

Roman grumbled something she couldn't catch, but she paid no attention, thumbing the button on her collar and speaking into it. "Miltia. Melanie. Can you hear me?"

" _Oooh, it's a ghost~"_ was her less-than-helpful reply.

"Miltia…"

" _Actually, it's Melanie."_

"Melanie, then-"

" _Ha, got you. It's totally Mil."_ The girl laughed even as Yang clenched her teeth. _"Anyway, what's up?"_

"What's up is that Roman and I are being shot at."

" _Ouch. Sounds rough."_ Miltia's lack of sympathy wasn't exactly unexpected, nor was the bored tone of her voice.

"The police have stopped shooting back at the White Fang," Yang reported. "Do you have any idea why? We're pinned down here."

" _Why? Hm…"_ Miltia's voice went quiet for a moment, though she could just make her out in the background calling something to her sister. That went on for almost a minute, and Yang was about ready to give up before she came back with a crackle of static. _"Oh yeah, it's probably the hostages."_

Yang's eyes widened. "Hostages!?"

" _Oh yeah, quite a lot of them up here. Anyway, the police probably didn't realise, then stopped firing when someone told them."_

Yang cursed to herself and looked back towards the police. Hostages would make sense, especially if the White Fang had threatened to kill them or something similar. If that were true, they'd be on their own inside as well, which wasn't a bad thing per se… right up until they started threatening to kill them unless they gave up.

"Where are they kept? Can you reach them?"

" _Yeah, sure. We were with them earlier."_

It took Yang all of ten seconds to realise quite what Miltia had just said. "Wait, you were with them?"

" _Yeah."_

"And you didn't _stay_ with them?"

" _Why would we? We told them to sit still. Seemed like a good idea at the time."_

Yang groaned and clapped a hand to her forehead. "Because the White Fang might decide to start executing them now that the police have arrived."

" _Oh… That would be a bad thing, right?"_

"It might affect your chances of staying out of jail, yes."

" _Ha ha, well, we'll… uh… just be heading back to look after them. See ya!"_ The call went dead, and Yang shook her head. Those two… she wasn't sure if they were idiots, or just that callous. Whatever the case, put in more self-serving terms, they'd probably make sure the hostages were safe and sound. Now, if only the same could be said about them.

"What's the plan?" Roman asked, backing up to her. He'd been driven from his position as the overwhelming enemy forces flanked them. "We can't hold here. Do we try and break through?"

That would work, but only to let them escape. Since that wasn't the goal, and escape would only get her bumped back down to rest and recovery, Yang shook her head. "We need to arrest them."

"Not for nothing, kid, but there's two of us and around sixty of them."

"Doesn't matter. You want to stay free, right?"

Roman growled but nodded. They were both stuck in this together, like it or not.

 _I'm not necessarily the same,_ she thought. _I could escape and give up. Would it really be that big of a deal to wait a year? Sure, I wouldn't be on Team RWBY anymore, but I could join up with them after we all graduate. It could be just like nothing had ever changed._

She considered the idea, but all she could think of was four more years with a team she didn't know, people she didn't know, while Ruby and the others were off risking their lives. If there was even a chance one of them might get hurt, or worse, then she couldn't give up.

But more than that, she imagined their faces. Sympathetic, grieved, pitying. Her eyes burned and she gritted her teeth together. No. No way. She hated those expressions, and hated it even more that it was her team – her friends – who dared show them to her. Giving up now, backing out, taking the easy option… it would prove everything they'd said right.

She reloaded her gun instead, pulling the hammer back with her teeth. "We're making a break for it," she said. "Get in the corridors. We'll fight them from there, where they can't flank us."

"You're nuts," Roman said.

"I'm also your Captain."

"That you are. Gods, can't believe I'd ever look back on Cinder and think she was sane. Well, fine, whatever. Not like the alternative is much fun either." He peeked out from behind a machine and winced. "We'll need a distraction, though. Those animals aren't smart, but they know how to aim."

Yang grinned at him. "I think we'll have one. In, oh, three, two, one-"

An explosion echoed across the factory floor, originating between them and the faunus they were fighting against. Yang hopped over the barricade, Roman in tow, and dashed towards a side-entrance. As she did, she flashed a nod up towards the third-floor causeway, where Junior stood with his rocket-launcher.

"Heads up!" Mercury called, landing off to one side and back-flipping into the air, catching a faunus under the chin and sending him hurtling back. He snapped a kick into another, but ducked back as Roman brought his cane up and fired. All three of the terrorists were blown back by the blast, and the smoke it kicked up gave them the cover they needed to reach the door.

"It's locked," Roman said.

Yang's eyes flashed red as she howled and slammed her fist into it. The lock shattered immediately, the door flying open.

"It's unlocked," Roman amended. "Damn, you'd have been convenient on a few of my old heists. Not the subtlest of people, but I can get behind that every now and then."

"Less flirting, Roman." Junior called, jumping down to land beside them. He ducked through the door and pressed his back against the wall – not a moment too soon since the confusion had given way and the White Fang had opened fire once more. With just the single entrance, and a corridor one of them could cover, it was much easier to hold them off. Junior fired off a second rocket, and there was a cry of warning from the White Fang. He turned to her when the gunfire went silent. "What's the plan? We're not going to be able to take all these guys out on our own."

"You kidding, old man?" Mercury laughed. "There's four of us and ten times that many of them. Easy odds as far as I can see."

Junior rolled his eyes. "I meant that we won't be able to arrest them all – not in any short amount of time anyway. Unless you want to be here for an hour or more with trigger-happy police outside, I don't think it's an option."

"And if they sort this problem out before we do, it won't technically be _our_ success," Yang added.

That shut Mercury up and he nodded grimly. They were on a time-limit, essentially. If the police found the courage to break in and stop the White Fang, then all the VSPR would get was a reprimand for starting the fight early, or flying of the handle without alerting the authorities.

"This needs to be our victory," she continued. "And it needs to be one so undeniable that the Council can't afford to shut us down." Yang pushed her head back around and fired at the nearest faunus, pushing them into cover. Rather than pull back to reload, she took the chance to inspect the factory floor.

There were three production lines, each coming out of a central vat – probably for mixing the ingredients – and then running through three conveyor belts, each with identical machinery for cutting, drying and packaging the pills. At the end, they were picked off the belts by workers and stacked onto pallets, where forklifts would take them to the waiting lorries. It all seemed fairly high-tech, and the machinery was either new or well-maintained. Could have been either given that a place making medicine would need to be clean and hygienic.

Her eyes zeroed in on the main vat. It was the mix the notes had said they'd changed, and she could see several barrels like the one earlier stacked up next to it.

"Junior, can you hit that main machine over there, the big silo thing?"

He poked his head out to take a look and nodded. "Easy enough. You want it destroyed or just shut down?"

"Dealer's choice," she said with a little shrug. "They freaked out when a barrel was hit earlier. I just figure they might be distracted if we hit the bigger barrel, and with enough force to really cause a mess."

"Now?"

Yang held a finger up to stop him and crouched down. "Melanie, Miltia. Have you reached the hostages?"

" _Yawn,"_ Miltia said – as in she vocalised the word instead of yawning. _"Yes. No White Fang, no fights, no fun. Nothing. Why?"_

"We're about to blow something up. Keep them safe."

" _Ugh, you guys are having ALL the fun! This is so unfair."_

Yang rolled her eyes. Sure, she could have explained herself, could have responded, but why bother when you had a perfectly good excuse not to? She grinned at Junior and nodded. When he stepped out of cover and readied himself on one knee, any chance of hearing Miltia at all went out the window.

If the explosion earlier had been loud, the one caused by Junior's rocket striking a huge, metal and _fully-functioning_ piece of machinery was catastrophic. It wasn't just the explosion itself, but the aftermath. Metal shrieked as some kind of rotating mixer within grated against its suddenly deformed walls. Sparks flew, and something ignited – causing a second explosion further up the unit. Smoke billowed out and a third rocked the factory floor, sending faunus left and right. Far worse, there was a scary-looking bulge in the side, like a metallic tumour growing out of the vat.

"That doesn't look good," Roman said needlessly. "We… we might want to back up a little."

The terrified screams of the White Fang seemed to agree with him.

Yang didn't have the time to shout a warning before it erupted. Then again, she didn't need to. Everyone with her had more self-preservation than anything else, and she was the only one who _hadn't_ made a run for it the moment things looked bad. She might have been caught in the deluge were it not for Roman slamming his shoulder into her stomach and carrying her away, her body bent over his back. Even that was probably because she was his ticket to freedom more than any actual desire to help her.

"T-Thanks," Yang said, pushing off his shoulders and back down. "Did it work?"

"There's no gunfire," Junior reported. "Sounds like they're still recovering."

"We go in now, then. Knock as many out as you can." Yang waited for them to nod, before she readied Ember Celica and stepped around the door and back into the factory. Smoke continued to billow from the machine, but it didn't look like there would be any more explosions. The contents of the vats were also splattered everywhere, and from the looks of it, it was the same viscous semi-white material from the barrels. Mercury took one look at it sloshed all over the walls and floor and whistled.

"Damn, it's like someone sneezed after the world's biggest bukkake."

"Classy," Roman said, slapping the teen over the back of the head. "Real classy. Might want to avoid touching any of it. Those guys earlier were worried for a reason."

"And unless they've started to do good for the world, I doubt whatever they're trying to push onto people is exactly safe," Yang agreed. She took a wide berth around one such puddle. It wasn't eating into the floor or anything, so at the very least it wasn't acidic. That was fortunate since there were several faunus covered in it laid flat on the ground. "I hope it's not noxious," she whispered.

"If so, we just killed a lot of people," Mercury said. Yang glared at him, but relaxed when one of the faunus groaned. "Hey look, they're still alive." Mercury skipped forward and knelt by the guy. "You're under arrest, by the way."

The faunus looked up and groaned ominously.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Trust me, I've been to prison. It sucks. On the bright side, I'm out." He paused to scratch his chin. "Not exactly a bright side for you, but eh, silver lining."

"Uwoghhh…"

"Yo, I don't know what you're-Whoa!" Mercury lurched back, falling flat on his ass as the terrorist suddenly lunged at him. Luckily, that wasn't a bad position for him and he was able to kick out with his augmented legs, throwing the faunus back. "What the hell was that!? He just went for me!"

"Not just you," Junior said, hauling him up. "Look!"

The factory had turned into a scene from a nightmare. The White Fang were groaning and making other sounds of pain or confusion – although those that had been spared contact with the drug seemed more cognisant, and their voices soon gave way to frightened screams as their `fellows` leapt upon them.

Yang watched it with wide eyes, "W-What!?"

"They've gone insane," Roman remarked, far too calm for how messed-up the situation was. "They're attacking one another, and not even using weapons. It's like they're trying to tear people to shreds, friend or foe alike." He winced. "Or bite. Holy crap."

Mercury scoffed and turned to Junior. "Called it. That's fifty lien."

"They're not zombies," Junior said, pushing past him. "It's more like they've gone nuts, and they're definitely still alive, though I can't say for how long that'll last." As if to prove his point, one of the healthier White Fang turned his weapon on a former friend, gunning them down.

That pushed Yang into action. "It doesn't matter. If they want to tangle in melee, good. We can deal with them easily. Go for the ones with guns first, then knock out the zombies."

"They're not zombies!"

"Whatever they are," she snarled. "I don't even care anymore. Go! Before they end up killing each other!"

They didn't need to be told twice, and quickly rushed out to take care of the embattled terrorists. Yang dashed to the left, stooping low to drag one drugged-up faunus of an unconscious one. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised the one below hadn't had his throat torn out, but the one in her grip slapped a hand against her face. It tried again, this time using its fingernails like claws, or trying to. It wasn't overly effective.

She released him with one hand, putting him on his feet, then swung her fist into his face a second later. Had the guy been in his right mind, he'd have surely seen it coming, but he didn't even _try_ to dodge, instead trying to bite her fist as it came in.

Aura protected her skin, but wasn't quite strong enough to do the same for his jaw. She heard a sickening crack before he went down. Thankfully, he didn't get back up. A growl from behind alerted her to the next threat and she stepped to the side, dodging as a middle-aged woman lunged past. The brunette growled and spat as she tried to spin around, but Yang caught her knees from behind and brought her down. A swift kick put her out, though she made sure to drag the woman out of the serum. Whatever it was, it was bad news.

 _What if this stuff has already been shipped out into Vale? No, it can't have been. If this is the effect it had, we'd have surely heard about it._

Unless it worked slower in pill form. There was no telling, and that had her stomach flip-flopping. She hadn't taken any painkillers recently, but who was to say how many people had. Middivale made basic headache tablets. Everyone took those!

A third faunus interrupted her thoughts, charging from the left. Her arm came up to block a clumsy strike, but the faunus simply focused on that instead and tried to bite her. Extending her arm suddenly, she caught its cheek and knocked the teeth aside, before she followed up with her elbow and knocked him down. Before she could finish him off, something heavy landed on her back – desperate arms wrapping around her neck as the faunus tried to rip and tear.

She got a hand up in front of her throat, and winced when teeth bit down into it. Aura flexed but held, despite the indent-marks in her skin. She cracked her skull back against his face, and felt his nose break. The crazed faunus continued to try and bite regardless, ignorant of its own pain and injury, and focused only on tearing into her body. She flipped it over with a twist of her hips, and pinned it between the wall and herself. A quick elbow made it go still, and she left the poor guy slumped against the wall.

The others were doing fine – better than her, in fact. They had two arms, and despite being arrested, their combat abilities hadn't been dulled in any way. Roman weaved through several faunus with ease, catching the barrel of a gun that aimed for him and pushing it to the side, causing it to hit a crazed faunus and knock her down. He then hooked the back of his cane under the shooter's foot and tripped him, kicking him in the head a second later.

Junior swung his rocket launcher like a club, knocking normal and drugged faunus from their feet in his mighty swings. None were able to get close thanks to the reach of his weapon, and any that tried to shoot him quickly got a rocket for their troubles. Mercury was doing equally as well, kicking and spinning through his foes, while using his superior footwork to keep out the way of any mad terrorists who tried to bite him.

The battle had turned in their favour – and dramatically. More than half of the White Fang forces had been caught in the blast, and those that remained were too busy fending for their lives against their mad kin.

It took less than ten minutes to clean them up, and it wasn't until the last one was unconscious, courtesy of Ember Celica blasting him into a wall, that Yang allowed herself to breathe easily. Her hair was lank and slick with sweat. This… It felt like fighting Grimm. That same mindless aggression a Beowolf showed, and the fact they used claws and teeth. It was as though the faunus had been overtaken by the Grimm mentality.

 _I just hope they can be treated,_ she thought, nudging a body with her foot. It didn't move. If they couldn't be cured… if this was permanent? No. She couldn't think like that.

"Is everyone okay?" she called instead.

"As well as I can be," Junior said, working the muscles in his shoulder. "Those _things_ were nuts. Zero self-preservation, and almost impervious to pain. Only way to deal with them was to knock 'em out."

"Which wasn't exactly hard," Mercury pointed out. "Hell, it was easier than when they had guns to use."

"It wouldn't have been for the police, though," Roman said, joining them. "Keep in mind, we're Huntsmen – even if we're criminals. We have the advantage in close combat. If those things were fighting against regular people?"

It would be much the other way around. Yang nodded, even as the others went silent. To an average person, the only choices would be to fight or flee, and with the crazed faunus not registering pain, mercy or personal injury, it would be all but impossible to shake them off. There was no telling if they'd get tired either. If the drugs worked like performance-enhancers, they'd be able to run faster and longer than a typical civilian.

"This is a big deal," she said, looking back to the ruined vat overlooking the production lines. "If we didn't find out about this place, these drugs would have been sold in just about every shop in Vale. What do you think would have happened?"

"I'd rather not think it," Roman said, drawing and lighting a cigar. "A little odd for the White Fang though, don't you think?"

"Is it?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "They're terrorists."

"Fighting for faunus rights, or at least that's what they say." His sarcastic tone made it clear what he thought of that. "Either way, this is a bit indiscriminate. Even assuming they somehow passed this on to only non-faunus, there's no saying the drugged-up civvies wouldn't have killed other faunus. It doesn't really work with their MO."

"Yeah well, neither did trying to destroy Beacon," Yang growled. "What did they expect would happen after that? Give it ten or twenty years where there are no huntsmen being trained, and Grimm might kill everyone in Vale. That didn't exactly fit their MO either, and they still did it."

"On Cinder's orders. She was batshit insane."

"Cinder is dead. I saw her body."

"I know." Roman sighed and gestured around them. "Then who's the one making the crazy decisions now?"

She had no answer. None of them did. Adam came to mind, but apart from being a bastard and a stalker, he hadn't seemed like the type to slaughter indiscriminately. Humans, yes, but that would be on purpose. Something like this would kill just as many faunus. This plan had the markings of insanity on it… that or a casual disregard for _all_ life. Something she'd thought only Cinder had.

Yang was about to talk more on it, but heard someone speaking over a megaphone outside, probably the police trying to ask about the hostages. She grabbed her collar and told the girls to bring them down, even as she turned to the three before her and nodded to the entrance.

"Let's get this over with," Yang said, dusting soot, dust and blood off her trousers. "I just want to sleep this off and forget a zombie apocalypse ever happened."

"Not zombies," Junior repeated bitterly.

"Give it up, old man. You owe me fifty."

/-/

Outside the facility, Lisa Lavender whispered to her cameraman as she touched up her makeup, using the camera's lens as an impromptu mirror. Bad enough that they'd been out here for two hours now, but with all that gunfire, she'd been hard-pressed not to duck for cover and hide until it was all over. At least that had stopped a while ago, but the screams had hardly made it any better.

"This better turn into a decent story," Phil, the camera man growled. "Can't believe the higher ups wanted us out here getting shot at. Do we get danger pay for this?"

"Good luck," Lisa fired back. "We'll get danger pay if we're shot, but I can guarantee they'll just say the fact we weren't is proof it wasn't dangerous at all."

"Why do we work for this channel again?"

"Because there aren't any others."

Phil sighed. "True... hell, sometimes I think we should strike out and start up our-" He trailed off, eyes growing wide as he saw something behind her. Lisa's first instinct was to duck – and not without good reason – but when he started to frantically fiddle with her camera, she soon caught on. The two had worked together long enough to have a grasp on their instinctive cues. She quickly slapped some more foundation on her face, took a deep breath and brought her microphone up. Phil held up three fingers and started to count down.

Without even giving her an idea of what was going on, she might add. Great. Wonderful. Just trust good old Lisa to figure everything out on her own. His final finger went down and the red light atop the camera flashed on.

"Lisa Lavender here with an update on the breaking news at Middivale Pharmaceuticals, where you can no doubt hear the gunfire has come to a halt. Although the police have yet to enter the facility in search of the hostages, it's clear that – no, wait-" Lisa's eyes widened as she noticed the figures coming out of the factory's main entrance. "There seems to be some people emerging from the facility. Could it be the White Fang in surrender or- no. I… I don't believe it. It's the hostages!"

It wasn't her best performance, but sue her – her mouth was already hanging open dumbly, the only saving grace being that she was fairly sure not a single viewer was looking at her. Instead, their attention must have been on the group marching out the building. The majority of them were clearly the hostages, dressed in a mix of business suits and factory-floor work outfits, but six figures dressed rather differently marched in front of them, weapons drawn.

"Who are they?" Lisa hissed, hand over the microphone so that no one would hear her.

"I've no idea," Phil whispered back. "Get in there!"

What? Just like that? She shot him a fierce glare, but her journalistic senses could smell a story. Hell, a half-dead baby could probably smell the story here, and it was enough to make her salivate. Throwing aside all caution – or, well, a little caution; they weren't shooting, after all – Lisa rushed over to the group with Phil jogging behind. As she came closer, she recognised several of the figures, though one stood out more than any other.

Roman Torchwick had been the criminal idol that had kickstarted much of her career, after all. Covering his robberies was fun, dramatic, and very profitable. She almost tripped when she saw him. Forgivable, she felt. Wasn't he in prison!?

"Miltia, Melanie, deliver the hostages to the police. They'll know what to do." The blonde girl, younger than Lisa for sure, ordered the two other girls with a sharp bark, and much to her surprise, both of them nodded and hurried the hostages away. "Junior, take Mercury and see if you can find a prisoner for us to take back with us. We probably can't take them all, but we should at least arrest two or three people. Make sure they weren't the crazy ones."

"You got it, boss."

"Roman, you-"

Lisa saw her chance to intervene and took it, sliding forward with her microphone extended like a weapon. It was the easiest way to force someone into an interview, the old `don't give them a choice` strategy. "And here," she began, "We have the unit responsible for rescuing the hostages and delivering them back to the police. As you no doubt saw, viewers, they were unharmed and safe, and we will be procuring a list soon enough so that families and friends might rest easy. But first, a quick chat with the team responsible, if we may?"

The blonde girl backed up, clearly startled with the sudden camera in her face. She was a rather pretty girl, young, but with a figure plenty of other women would die for. Lisa was fairly sure she recognised her from somewhere. Had she been on the television before? Sometime during the festival?

It wasn't the girl who answered, but rather Torchwick, sliding forward to take the microphone with a winning smile. "But of course," he purred, in a voice that would no doubt set many of their female viewers off. In terms of dangerous men, there were few quite as renowned, or handsome, as Roman Torchwick. "It would be our pleasure to share a few words. Isn't that right, Captain?"

Captain – the girl? So, they _were_ police? Oh, but _Roman_ in the police force? This was it. This was her scoop!

"Perfect, I appreciate it. So, what brings a renowned criminal and – as far as I recall – an imprisoned one, to work alongside Vale's finest?"

"I don't technically work with the VPD," Roman explained, smiling devilishly. "I've been conscripted into the VSPR, instead. The Vale Special Police Recon unit. We deal with more _dangerous_ threats to the city."

"I see," Lisa said, making a note to find out everything she could as soon as humanly possible. "And it is the VSPR who are responsible for quelling this White Fang takeover and rescuing the hostages."

"It is, and more," Roman waved one hand towards the girl beside him, who was still a little slack jawed, clearly unused to being in the limelight in such a fashion. "Through the brave and courageous actions of our Captain here, we uncovered that the White Fang have been using the Middivale facility to contaminate drugs sent for general consumption with potentially dangerous side-effects. Our findings will, of course, be sent on to the Council of Vale. I'm sure they'll release a statement soon enough."

"So, it's the Council you're working for?" Lisa asked, smelling a scandal. "They were the ones who let you out of prison?"

The girl looked panicked, but Roman answered before she could interrupt. "They were responsible for my being a part of the VSPR, yes. But at the same time, they're responsible for the hostages being alive to go home to their families today, as well as this no doubt dangerous scheme of the White Fang's being halted. For saving so many lives, I feel they deserve a little credit."

"True," she allowed, "Middivale products are sold in most stores, so there's no telling how many people might have been affected. And might we have a quick, parting word with your superior? Miss…?"

"Yang," the girl responded. "Captain Yang Xiao-Long."

"Captain, what are your thoughts on Mr Torchwick's release? Can he be trusted? What are your goals? What happened here today?"

"What happened here will be released once the Council has had a chance to look at it," she said, echoing Roman's words. "As for Torchwick, well, I'm keeping an eye on him. Our goal is simple; to protect the people of Vale. We've done that today." The girl strolled past, eyes fixed ahead. "That is all."

Lisa watched her go, and subtly panned for Phil to turn the camera to do so as well. She wasn't much, the girl, that was. Nervous more than rude. Even if she'd come across as brusque, Lisa knew how to read deeper. Still, with the hostages in the background being helped by police officers, there was no denying she cut an impressive figure. That shot alone would sell the story. She could see it now!

"Well, ladies and gentlemen," she said, turning back to the camera. "I suppose it's up to you to decide. Has the Council overstepped its bounds, or is this a genius move that has today protected tens of thousands of lives? One thing's for sure, we'll all be going home tonight safe in the knowledge that prescription drugs won't kill us. This is Lisa Lavender of Vale News, signing out."

/-/

"Was that entirely necessary?" Yang hissed, glaring at Roman out the corner of her eye. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? I've never been on TV!" Not unless she counted her horrifying experience when she'd been framed for breaking Mercury's leg, that was. "Why did you say it was the Council's idea?"

"To tie our fates together, of course." Roman smirked at her around his cigar. All around them, police watched on nervously, uncertain as to whether they should move to arrest them, or maybe even thank them. "Don't you get it, Captain? The news today will be all about how the Council exceeded expectations to save lives. Their support will be through the roof."

"How does that help us?"

"Well, we're the ones who caused it, of course. They're career politicians one and all. Beyond issues of safety, law, justice and anything else, one thing reigns supreme. Approval. Whether they'll be elected into power again."

"Their own selfish needs, then," she spat.

"Pretty much. And right now, we've pushed that through the roof. As I see it, they've got two options; approve us and let us continue, or shut us down."

Yang hummed, catching onto his point. "If they let us continue, they run the risk of it not working out later, whereas if they close us down like they planned to, people will be angry, right? No one's thinking about you bring free. They're thinking how they could have been poisoned if it wasn't for the VSPR. You're saying the Council won't dare risk putting us down."

"Maybe," Roman said with a little shrug. "That's my hope anyway. The media's a powerful tool if you know how to play it right. Public opinion is important, and right now we have it on our side. Let's not do anything to ruin that, eh?"

So, that was why he'd been so eager to do the interview with Lisa Lavender, and why he'd not let her escape during it. A single successful mission might not have been enough to keep them going, not when the Council could brush it under the rug or claim it was their doing. Now, however, all of Vale knew the VSPR were responsible.

Knew _she_ was responsible. Yang cringed and drew out her scroll, which she'd turned off for the mission. When it powered back up, there was a sudden barrage of pings. Thirty missed calls, several messages, not to mention over a hundred texts. Ozpin, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, oh Gods, there were even some from her Dad, too.

"Anything interesting?" Roman asked.

"Nothing I feel brave enough to look at right now," Yang said. As she was about to store it away, one more arrived, this time from Uncle Qrow.

" _Holy shit, Firecracker!"_

Yeah… that about summed everything up, really. All they could do now was wait and see; see whether Ozpin would be as good as his word and shut them down, or whether her and Roman's plan would see fruit, and the Council would extend their life. Either way, there was no point in remaining.

"Get everyone suited up and let's go," she ordered. "We're going home. We'll see if we're still a thing in the morning, I guess."

* * *

 **Mission complete. Sort of. Not much to add down here. Busy, busy, busy. Oh, and don't worry. The other members of Team RWBY will be making an appearance next chapter, of course. This isn't going to be the kind of story which ignores them altogether. They're still important characters.**

 **P.s. Just to avoid the obvious question of "How would Mercury know that word? It's Japanese" - I'll point out that "Ninja" is as well, but it's used a lot in the show, as is Yang's surname in being Chinese. It's just a thing, and maybe there's a lore reason, but either way, foreign terms like that do seem to apply.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Captain Dragon, or one-arm as it was originally to be known. Either way, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Something was nudging Yang's arm.

She wasn't sure what, mostly because she had her eyes closed, but she could feel it was hard and stiff and poking her elbow. It was metal too, if the cool touch was anything to go by. She grumbled something under her breath and tried to push it away without waking up. It relented, and she sighed happily and snuggled back into her arm.

It came back. Except that this time it continued to poke and prod no matter how much she growled and grumbled. When she tried to swat it away, it hooked behind her hand and drew it out. Had she two arms to lean on, that might not have been a problem, but as it was she didn't and her face slammed down onto something hard, cool and covered in a faint sheen of drool.

Her eyes snapped open a second later, and then narrowed as light infused them and burned her retinas. She hissed like a startled cat, except that her throat felt dry and it came out more as a dry rattle. Her tongue felt too big for her mouth, the light was too bright, and there was a dull throbbing in her head that just wouldn't go away. She recognised the signs instantly. She had a hangover. A real doozy of one, too. She groaned and pressed her forehead into her wooden desk, vaguely recalling something about Mercury or Junior saying if it was to be their last night, they might as well have fun. She'd agreed, partly because she felt if it _did_ go bad, that drunken dangerous criminals would be easier to handle than sober and desperate ones, but also because deep inside she'd wanted to get wasted too.

She didn't remember anything else, though it looked like she'd retired to her Captain's office to slump over her desk and fall asleep. Not the comfiest of places, as her sore neck and back were letting her know. "Crap," she hissed, hand coming up to rub her forehead. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"That is something I would like to know as well, Miss Xiao-Long," a masculine voice prodded. Her eyes widened and she glanced up into Ozpin's, the headmaster stood on the other side of her desk, leaning on the cane that had been pressed into her cheek a few moments earlier. "I can't say I expected to find our police passed out in the foyer," he continued. "Let alone that the Captain in charge would be slumped over her desk."

"I-It's early morning," Yang yawned.

"It's ten," he replied.

"Shit. I-I mean oops?" she amended, suddenly noticing his raised eyebrow. Yang groaned and pushed back in her seat, wiping a nearby towel over the drool she'd left behind. She gestured to the seat opposite, but Ozpin chose to stand, not that she blamed him. She wouldn't sit at a desk someone had just passed out over, either. "So," she began. "What can I do for you?"

"You did not receive any of my messages?"

Oh, she had – she'd just ignored them since she could imagine what they contained. In the same way that she'd ignored her family's messages too. Still, she could hardly say that and made a show of taking out her scroll and checking it. "Oh, wow," she said, rather unconvincingly, "You _did_ send me a message. Sorry, Ozpin. I guess I had it turned off when I was on my mission. Protocol, you know?"

He didn't believe her. There was no way he would be that foolish. But both of them knew he couldn't prove that, and if there was one thing she'd learned dodging detentions all through Signal and Beacon, it was that you had to stick to your story as doggedly as possible.

"I suppose that's understandable," Ozpin said, after the customary minute or two of teacher's silence, a common trick where they stared at you in the hopes you'd crack and reveal all your wrongdoings. She wouldn't, of course. She knew all about that one. "I suppose that also means you haven't had a chance to see the news this morning." He tossed a few newspapers onto her desk. "I took the liberty of bringing these the short distance from your reception to here. You're welcome, by the way."

"Thanks," she said distractedly, leafing over the covers.

Torchwick free already.

Council overrides justice.

White Fang plot to poison citizens.

Immigration causes White Fang reign of terror!

Yang looked up at the last, and Ozpin pulled it away with a sigh. "The Daily Vale," he explained. "The world could end from a meteorite and they would somehow blame it on all those migrants. Ignore that one. The point I was trying to raise is that your little stunt has captured the attention of the entire city. I suppose congratulations are in order."

"That wasn't exactly my intent," Yang said, rummaging through her drawers for anything to help her headache. She brought out a little blister pack and took some water from the coolers, popping out two white pills. Before she could take them, however, Ozpin's cane slammed down – grinding them into dust.

"I would think twice about that if I were you," he said, smiling easily. He poked his cane towards the packaging, and Yang blanched when she saw the familiar letters MVP – Middivale Pharmaceuticals. With a shudder, she tossed the painkillers in the bin.

That was a close one.

"What are you here for anyway, Ozpin? Is this about the messages I ignored?"

"You mean the messages you never noticed?"

"That's what I said."

"I'm not here for those, no." The old man sighed and brought his cane back down to lean on, despite that she'd never in her life seen him limp. "I'm here to bring you a little news and extend an invitation."

"An invitation?"

"More of a summons, really, but I expect you would not be aware of the normal channels. Your discovery yesterday has made the news as you can see, and rest assured that Middivale are busy recalling all of their products off the shelves for testing and safety purposes. Still, this White Fang activity is quite worrying, particularly because of their change in modus operandi."

"Meaning…?"

"You're the Police Captain, Miss Xiao-Long. You tell me."

Yang groaned. "I have a hangover, sir. Please give me a break…"

"I can very much see that. Might I also add how irresponsible that is?"

"You may." She waved a hand and sighed. It wasn't that she'd normally do this, or that she even did. She liked drinking, but only ever with friends and only enough to get tipsy. Being drunk off your rocker wasn't fun. This was different, though, and possibly the first time she'd ever drunk with the full intent of forgetting something.

Namely, she'd been so stressed and afraid of whether this would keep the VSPR going or not that she'd just wanted to have something – anything – to distract her. Drink seemed safer than anything else, and at least she'd had enough sense to not say or do anything she'd regret come the morning. Live off the headache and clean her desk, and everything would be as good as new.

"Well, I suppose it would be a little hypocritical of me to try and control your life now, wouldn't it? I am no longer your teacher, after all. The message I came to deliver is that there is an emergency meeting taking place in a few hours to discuss the findings of this case, and also what the city intends to do in order to contain it. Representatives from numerous fields have been summoned, law enforcement being one of them." Ozpin placed a sealed, brown envelope on her desk. It had a fancy wax seal on the back, along with the words printed in red – CONFIDENTIAL – on the front. "You are among those who are required to attend. I would advise you be there, Miss Xiao-Long. This summons is not a request."

Yang took the envelope and broke the seal, pulling out the letter. It was pretty much as Ozpin said, though there was an interesting part where the previous captain's name had been scribbled out and replaced with her name in blue pen. The rest was a printed letter.

The fact it was addressed to her at all was shocking enough, however. It was Saturday. The VSPR were supposed to close down on Friday.

Did that mean…?

Were they…?

"I will be in attendance as well," Ozpin said, turning and walking away. "I will see you there, Captain Xiao-Long."

"Wait!" Yang stood, or at least tried to. She managed to get up on her feet, but she swayed and had to place her hand down on the desk to steady herself. Even so, he did stop by the door, waiting for her to speak. The words she wanted to say, to scream, struggled to come out. Time and time again, she'd imagined what she might say to Ozpin for essentially trying to trick her out of Beacon. There'd been angry rants, accusations and more, but now with him stood before her, nothing came to mind.

"What is it, Captain?" he asked. "I'm a busy man, so please make it quick."

No regret, no apology or even a sign that he felt either. Yang felt her anger flee, and she deflated, falling back into her seat. "It's nothing. You can go. I'll see you there later, si-" He wasn't her teacher now. She didn't owe him any respect. "I'll see you later," she amended.

Without turning back, Ozpin nodded. He opened the door, but paused in it, turning back with what could only have been considered a mischievous glint to his eye. "There was _one_ thing, Captain."

She looked up. "Hm?"

"It turns out I wasn't the only one taking a Bullhead to Vale this morning." The door closed behind him, leaving her to silently contemplate what he might have meant by that common. It didn't last for long, however. The frantic hammering of feet in the corridor interrupted her thoughts, and to her horror, she recognised the voices.

The door slammed open.

"Yang!" Ruby cried, throwing herself in, but getting stuck in the doorway with her partner.

"Damn it. Ruby, we can't both fit in!" Weiss growled, wriggling to try and free herself. "Back up!"

"You back up. I was here first."

"This isn't the time for arguments-"

"You're the one arguing!"

"You both are," Blake called from outside, unable to enter due to the two jammed in the doorway. Yang watched it all happen, wondering if she should get up and help or maybe offer some advice. As it was, the decision was taken out of her hands entirely as Ruby grunted and managed to pop herself inside, propelled a few paces before coming to a stop in front of the desk.

"Yang, what the heck!?"

Yang's smile faded. "What?"

"I think she was referring to the wanted criminals draped across various pieces of furniture in the main hall," Weiss said, crossing her arms and looking around Yang's new office with a mixture of disdain and nosey curiosity.

"And the White Fang member handcuffed to a table," Blake pointed out. "Also passed out."

White Fang…?

"And the Middivale Pharmaceuticals branded eighteen-wheeler taking up most of the car park," Weiss added.

Oh right, that. Yang's head pounded, but things were starting to come together as they were listed out. She could vaguely recall her giving the order for everyone to go back to the precinct before Junior had coughed awkwardly and pointed to their APC, still decorating the interior of the factory and buried under half a tonne or more of wall.

They'd been faced with the horrible image of walking back with prisoners in tow until Mercury had said they could just steal one of the trucks. Police didn't steal, though, so they'd _requisitioned_ it instead – or taken it as evidence. Whichever excuse worked best, really.

As for the prisoner…?

" _Boss, do you know where the keys are for the cells in the basement?"_

" _No? I've only worked here a day. Don't you?"_

" _The last Captain never told us."_

" _Ah, screw it. Just handcuff him to something. He isn't going anywhere."_

And then Junior had brought out the booze, and the search for the keys had somehow turned into one for a bottle opener, and then it never really got done at all, and the rest was more of a fuzzy haze. Somewhere in it, however, she could vaguely the faunus asking for water, and they hadn't had any on hand. Booze, though? Well, she could imagine how it had gone from there.

"We were questioning him," Yang lied.

"With copious amounts of alcohol?" Weiss asked, unimpressed.

"In vino veritas. Anyway, what are you all doing here?"

" _We_ came to see what on Remnant you thought you were doing letting someone like _Roman Torchwick_ of all people out of his cell!" Weiss stepped forward and planted both hands on the table. The show-off. "I thought you'd have some kind of reason or excuse, but instead we find you drunk."

"I'm not drunk. I'm hung over."

"What kind of distinction is that!?"

"An important one," Yang sighed. "Maybe. I don't know. What time is it?"

"A quarter past ten."

"Good. I have a meeting at one."

"What kind of meeting?" Ruby asked.

"A meeting with the Council and other police departments."

"Is it about the White Fang?" Blake asked, zeroing in on the topic. When Yang shrugged, her ex-partner continued. "What do you know about them? What were they doing with those drugs? What is being done?"

"Not much, I don't know and we'll see," Yang replied half-heartedly. "I don't think I'd be allowed to tell you if I did."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

"Uh, because it's none of your business? This is police work, you know. I can't just go around telling people everything about what's going on." At least she assumed so, and was fairly sure she was right. She hadn't had any problem sharing stuff before, but this was kind of on a different level. There were probably laws involved, and she'd get in trouble for breaking them.

It didn't look like they understood.

"It's nothing personal," she tried again, aiming to make her voice less raspy if she could. "I can't tell you because I don't know, but even if I did, I have a feeling I wouldn't be allowed to tell you. I could lose my job over this."

Blake scowled and Ruby sulked, but Weiss actually looked a little impressed. "Well, some responsibility from you at last. I'm surprised. Still, it makes sense."

"Good. I'm glad-"

"What doesn't make sense is Torchwick!" Weiss interrupted, slamming her hands down again.

"Do you have to keep doing that?" Yang groaned. "You have two hands, I get it. I don't. What I do have is a headache. Also, I'm right here. You don't need to keep shouting."

"I'm shouting because it seems like the only way to get into your thick head. He is a criminal. He is a monster. _You_ let him out!"

"I didn't have a-" Yang's voice was cut off as the door slammed open and the man in question sauntered in with a newspaper in hand.

"Hey, boss, did you see the news? We're still in business- aaand I can see you're busy." Roman did a quick one-eighty. "I'll leave you to it-"

"YOU!" Blake hissed, hand falling to her weapon.

"Me," Roman groaned, realising there was no escape and that he'd have to deal with three teenagers eager for his head on a platter. Much like her, the thief looked worse for wear, and it only showed more on him because of how stylish he normally was. His uniform was wrinkled and stained, and she realised that much like her, he didn't have anything to change into. He reached for a cigarette and lit it, puffing lightly as he watched Blake with lidded eyes. "You really going to draw a weapon here, kitty-cat? I'm fairly sure threatening a police officer is a crime."

"You're no officer, Torchwick."

"The badge disagrees." He reached for his vest and paused. "Okay, I don't actually have a badge, but I'm taking it I'll get one. Right, boss?"

Yang shrugged. "Sure. I need one as well."

"Yang!" Blake yelled, sounding betrayed.

"What? He asked a question. I answered it. We _do_ need badges."

"He's a criminal!"

"Was a criminal. He isn't right now."

"They're all criminals!"

"I know, sheesh." Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "Also, still right in front of you and still hung over. Volume, please. In fact, can't we talk about something a little less charged right now? My head is still spinning."

"M-Maybe that's a good idea," Ruby said. She was shooting Roman nervous looks, but at least seemed less likely to pull out Crescent Rose, which was a marked improvement on Weiss and Blake. The annoying part was that Ruby even had the _most_ reason to hate him after what he'd done, so Yang had no idea where the other two got off acting so offended.

She'd have suggested they take a chill pill, but considering what happened the day before, she had a feeling those were off the menu.

"We could take it out into the foyer," Roman suggested, his usual snark absent in the face of their mutual hangover. "Also, do we have a shower here or something? I could really use one."

"I won't disagree," Weiss sniffed imperiously, refusing to even look at the man she considered beneath her notice. "You stink."

"Well excuse me, princess. I didn't exactly have a chance to freshen up before your arrival. I went from a cell to a raid, and then to here. I don't even have a place to live at the moment. Guess that means I live here for now."

"Me too," Yang said, thinking of her own situation. She'd expected to be back in Beacon, so it wasn't like she had any accommodation either. She'd have to sort that out unless she wanted to sleep at her desk every night. Even the thought of that was enough to depress her. She was seventeen. It was too early for her to be chained to a desk. "Second night in a row I've slept here."

"You _slept_ with Roman Torchwick!?" Ruby asked, her mouth open in utter horror.

"What? No! Neither of us have anywhere to go. We just stayed here overnight."

"You _live_ with Roman Torchwick!?" Ruby managed to make that sound even worse. She threw her hands to the side. "YANG!"

"Okay, now you're just missing the point entirely." Yang stood up and pushed past them, opening the door. Some fresh air sounded like a good idea, especially with how stale it was in her office. She heard the others march behind her like the most awkward parade known to man, mostly thanks to Roman walking between three huntresses who wanted nothing more than to see him back behind bars.

To her relief, everyone in the foyer seemed to have woken up and were, for the most part, better at handling their alcohol than her. Miltia, Melanie and Junior worked in a bar, after all. They'd also had the good sense to open the windows, letting in some much-needed fresh air.

"Morning," Junior said automatically, fighting a yawn with one hand over his mouth. "Seen the news?"

"Yeah. We're still in business."

"For now, Captain. We'll have to keep up the pace. The moment we're no longer needed, the Council might shut us down."

That was true, and they couldn't rely on Roman's contacts either, since the news was more than out on how he was now a part of the VSPR. He'd been on the news with her and Lisa Lavender, and she doubted anyone had missed that. Not to mention his name was in more of the newspapers than hers. She wasn't sure whether that was a bad thing or not. Probably bad, come to think of it. Dad was going to throw a fit.

"We'll keep pushing on," she said, addressing not just Junior but the others as well. "We have a meeting this afternoon, but we're going to try and bring in the White Fang if we can. Also, can I handle getting a new APC to you?"

"Uh, sure?"

Yang glanced out the window and sighed. "And maybe get rid of that truck while you're at it."

Junior winced. "I can try…" From the tone of his voice, she had a feeling his idea of `try` wouldn't be something she approved of, but she didn't bother to ask. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and wouldn't be something she needed to get involved in. Currently, it was all she could do to fight back a sigh as her team and Roman caught up.

"Yang, you can't just avoid the conversation," Weiss growled.

"Can't I, though…? I really feel like I can if I try really hard."

"No! Look at you, Yang. You can't do this. I mean, breaking into that factory was dangerous enough, but trying to control these… these _criminals_? That's madness. What would you have done if they'd betrayed you, or if there were more White Fang than expected?"

"There wasn't, so it doesn't matter."

"That's just picking hairs. I bet you intend to try and find more situations like that, don't you?"

"It's kind of our job, so yes."

"That's irresponsible!"

Something built behind Yang's eyes, and for once it wasn't a headache. She grit her teeth together and managed to stop the growl before it came out, even if she wasn't sure her eyes hadn't flashed red anyway. "How is it any different from what _we_ used to do?" she asked. "Were we any more prepared? We rushed to the docks based on nothing more than a hunch, and did even more when we hit that warehouse with the Paladins inside."

"That was different."

It really wasn't. It was the same thing, or even worse considering they hadn't even informed the authorities or Ozpin as to what they'd been doing. Had things gone any worse at the docks, or with the Paladin, they might have died. Funny how Weiss and the others never balked at that, but suddenly take away an arm and everything changed.

A groan from the side drew Yang's attention away, and saved her the need to get into an argument she didn't need. The White Fang member from before was crouched by the coffee table, handcuffed to the base of it and rubbing one hand against his head.

Just one more thing she had to deal with. Yang walked over and bit back a yawn. He was a young man about eighteen or nineteen, and looking rather out of place without a mask and weapon. Brown hair, brown eyes and a face that was remarkable only because of how unremarkable it was. "Morning," she greeted, coming to a stop a foot or so away from him. The parade followed, though Roman had taken the first chance he saw to sneak off.

The faunus growled. "You…"

"Me," Yang agreed, unwittingly echoing Roman from earlier. "So, what's your name?"

"Like I'd tell a piece of human scum like you!"

"Good." Her easy reply clearly shocked him, and her ex-team too if their faces were any indication. Yang, however, simply waved a hand. "I was only asking to be polite. I don't really care either way. Since you won't give us anything, I'll give you a name. You're called Mark." Mark the unremarkable, an idiot in over his head.

"What? You can't just name me!"

"Melanie," she called. "Can you take Mark down to the cells, please? Miltia, go along and help her find the keys."

"Do we have to?" the predictable question came back.

Yang sighed. "I said please. Don't make me say it without that."

"Aw, fine…"

In a weird way, she felt like she was coming to understand the dysfunctional pair. They were absolute bitches, sure, but a lot of the time it seemed like they were doing that just for the sake of it. They'd been reliable enough in securing the hostages, and it wasn't like she couldn't be a pain in the ass sometimes as well. Honestly, they weren't nearly as annoying as Weiss could be – no matter if they were on the wrong side of the law or not.

"My name isn't Mark!" the faunus howled.

"Then what is it?"

"I'll never tell you!"

"Whatever floats your boat, Mark," Melanie replied, entering the conversation as she stooped down with the key to the handcuffs. "Sheesh, you were cuter unconscious. Maybe we could go back to that."

Blake coughed meaningfully, and Yang shook her head. Police brutality was okay – well, not okay, but accepted – in the middle of a dangerous mission. Not here, and not with a prisoner. Luckily for Mark, Yang could tell it was more a bluff than anything.

"And to think we've been so nice this morning as well," Melanie went on. "We even gave you breakfast and something for your headache."

Yang paused as an unwelcome sensation pooled in her stomach. "Uh, Melanie? What exactly did you give Mark?"

"Just some headache tablets. Why?"

"I don't…" Mark swallowed queasily. "I feel… funny…"

Even through the haze of her killer hangover, Yang was fast enough to snap out a hand and grab Melanie by the collar, yanking her back so hard the girl choked. It was a better fate than what might have awaited her, however, as Mark suddenly lunged forward, all teeth and claws with his skin bright red. He missed her thanks to Yang's intervention, but ended up lunging at a different target instead.

Ruby's mouth fell open in horror.

"Damn it," Yang hissed, releasing Melanie, who tripped over the back of the sofa and crashed to the floor in a heap. Her single hand came back in time to push Ruby aside, but that just left Weiss – the only one too slow to dodge after Blake had ducked aside.

"Wha-" Weiss's question cut off as the faunus barrelled her to the ground, both his hands reaching for the heiress' neck as he tried to bite out her throat. Weiss shrieked, pushing his face back with one hand and struggling to block his hands with the others. Her eyes were wide and wild. "Get him off! Get him off! Get him off!"

"I've got him," Mercury said, not actually getting him off so much as delivering a punishing kick to the man's ribs. The force was enough to lift him in the air, and even to lift Weiss a little, who was still attached to him in a way. He sailed off and crashed down, and Mercury pressed a knee into his back before he could rise.

Mark continued to spit, hiss and struggle, however. He was sweating profusely, his skin cherry red and teeth bared despite his bloodied nose.

"Knock him out!" Yang ordered, sighing in relief when Mercury did so with a single punch to the back of the neck.

"Yang!" Blake hissed angrily.

"What? It's the safest option. Unless _you_ want to tackle that." She growled and wiped her hand down her face. "Okay, change of plans. Melanie, Miltia, when you lock him up make sure to secure him down to something. I want him strapped to a bed or something."

"YANG!"

"So he doesn't injure himself," she explained. "Sheesh, you three are worked up. If he's like this, he'll throw himself against the bars until he kills himself or something. We'll let him up when it's out of his system." She nodded to the twins to make sure they got the message, and they dragged the unconscious faunus away, muttering between themselves.

Well, that was a more exciting morning than she'd really hoped for. When she turned to her team to continue their conversation, it was to find Weiss' face suddenly pushed into hers, the girl's skin almost as red as her aggressor's, and also covered with some of his spittle.

"This!" she hissed. "This is exactly what I mean! Just look at the way this place is run. You have a bunch of criminals running around free-"

"Not technically free," Yang said. "They're tracked and will be taken back if they try to run."

"You have a prisoner tied to a table-"

"I've worked here less than a day. We didn't have the cell keys."

"And you gave him poisoned medication, turning him into some kind of… some kind of…"

"Zombie?" Mercury offered helpfully.

"Yes – a zombie!"

"It's not a zombie!" Junior shouted.

"You still owe me money, Junior!"

"Okay, that was an accident," Yang said, ignoring the two. She planted her hand on her hip. "For the first part, I think we can be forgiven for forgetting about the drugs thing since we just woke up and it's not even known what is or isn't contaminated. Also, we handled the situation well enough. He lives, you live, and he'll be fine once it's over except for a few bruises. That's more than can be said for the faunus we knocked off that train in Mountain Glenn."

"That's not the same!" Ruby whispered. "You raided a factory filled with White Fang."

"How is it not? We were against the White Fang in both cases, and at least this time I _meant_ to be." Yang's hand clenched into a fist, and she could feel her temper rising. "Nothing happened yesterday that I didn't mean to happen. We went there expecting – no, _looking_ – for the White Fang, and we found them. That's our job, by the way. That's what we're _supposed_ to be doing."

"It was reckless," Blake said, eyes still on Roman and the other crooks. "All of this is."

"What's the big deal?" Yang asked. "No, what's _your_ deal. You were all fine with me taking over the VSPR before. You even sent me a message wishing me luck."

"Yeah," Ruby said, "but that was before-"

She bit her words off with a snap, face turning pale – but Yang had already caught it.

"Before what, Ruby? Before you knew I'd actually succeed…?" Her eyes slowly closed. "Before you knew I wouldn't fall for Ozpin's trick and be sent back to Patch where I could be kept safe?"

Ruby's long moment of silence was telling.

"Yang, I-"

"Get out."

The words were a whisper, yet echoed in the foyer, driving away all others but for the sound of bated breath and Yang's own laboured breathing. Mercury tried to move, but winced and remained still when his foot creaked on the floor. No one else dared even try.

Ruby swallowed. "Yang-"

"All of you," she repeated, voice even. "Go. Get out."

"You're being completely childish," Weiss accused.

Big mistake. Yang's eyes snapped open, her lips parting as she _snarled_ at the smaller girl, shocking her to silence. "I'm being childish? I'm the one in the wrong? You don't get to say that, princess. You, of all people, don't get to say a damn thing!"

Weiss staggered back, eyes wide, but Ruby – ever loyal Ruby – came rushing to her partner's aid. "Yang, it's not Weiss' fault. It's-"

"Shut up, Ruby!" Yang hissed. "You of all people should have known better. You weren't just my teammate or my team leader. You are my sister!"

"I… I…" Ruby's eyes watered, and unlike every time previously, Yang didn't feel the instant urge to comfort her little sister. She felt angry, furious. How dare _she_ look like that when it was _she_ who was responsible for all of this? "I just wanted what was best for you…"

"Well good job, sis. Fan-fucking-tastic work. What would be best for me now is you three getting the hell out so that I can focus on my job!"

And finally, Blake… her partner, her friend, the girl she'd been willing to give up so much more, but who wouldn't do the same in return. Kindness wasn't given with the expectation it would be paid back, but would it have killed her to have at least _helped_!? She opened her mouth to speak, but Yang cut her off with a shake of the head.

"Don't. Even. Start."

She didn't. Her eyes fell. Her head turned to the side. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Yeah," Yang replied. "Me too. Now get the hell out."

They departed without a single word. There was a longing look from Ruby as she hesitated at the door, a look designed - and proven - to break through Yang's defences. When it failed, the younger girl sniffled and rushed out.

Yang's face fell into her hands, the anger mixing with despair and grief to form something altogether new, and just as unwelcome.

"Fuck," she whispered, exhausted both mentally and emotionally.

And not two hours before an important meeting.

Great...

/-/

"You're in a bad mood," Roman whispered as the elevator took them higher up into the council building. He was dressed in a fresh VSPR uniform, much like her, the two of them having showered at the base and made their way here with the others. The rest of her crew stood behind, crammed into the small box. They, however, had figured it best to remain silent.

"Wow, you can tell?"

"Not exactly hard, and I'm not saying it's not warranted, either," he added quickly. "I'm just saying you're angry, and that this probably isn't the best time for you to show that marvellous temper of yours." He sighed and adjusted his brand new badge, the golden insignia of the VSPR on proud (or not, in his case) display. "Getting angry and smashing me and my Paladin through a pillar is okay. Getting angry and smashing a Councillor through a wall isn't."

Yang sighed, but nodded to show she understood. It wasn't like she'd have done that, but she could hardly blame them for thinking it based on how furious she was. The timing of her spat with Team RWBY, or what remained of it, couldn't have been worse. Now she had to attend this meeting still struggling to contain her fury.

"I'll be fine," she promised. "Let's just get this over with and start thinking what to do next. We can't afford to sit back and let this be our only success."

"Media attention is all on this White Fang plot," Roman said. "If we can deal with that, the people will love us. Or the VSPR, anyway," he added with a little laugh. "They'll hate me until their dying day, I imagine."

The door pinged open before they could continue, and Yang stepped out, her team behind her. The council building was absolutely packed with people, probably due to the nature of the emergency they faced. People in black suits held placards above their heads and called out in a desperate attempt to organise people.

"Doctors and medical personnel to the left," one called. "Emergency responders on the right!"

"I guess that's us," Mercury said.

"Looks like they're trying to get this in hand quickly," Junior said. "Hospitals are going to be dealing with calls from worried patients, so they probably need to know what to say and do. I imagine there's a lot goes into prepping the city."

A lot of work for sure. Yang didn't envy the council that, though it had probably saved their bacon because they had so much to work on, that adding the fallout of closing down the VSPR was out of the question. She followed the route mapped out ahead, and eventually came to a split in the corridor where a uniformed man was directing each group. His badge marked him a Captain like her, though one obviously closer linked to the council since he was already organising this. He eyed them when they approached and made to smile, but it died an ugly death when he saw who was behind her.

Yeah, she'd kind of expected that response.

"Torchwick," the man snarled.

"Random person…" Roman replied.

The fact he hadn't been recognised didn't seem to do much for the man, who vibrated with barely contained fury. "My name is William Redcliff, or Captain Redcliff to you, thief." He eyed the rest of them with equal disdain. "Let's see here. A bunch of despised and wanted criminals masquerading as a police force. Whatever could this be?"

"It looks like the VSPR, sir," the man beside him filled in, an equal sneer on his lips.

"That it does, Corporal Forrest. That it does. Though I have to say, I recognise the majority of these fiends, but not you." He looked to Yang trailed his eyes up and down her body. She might have been disgusted had there been a hint of lecherous intent to it, but he was regarding her like some unusually shaped piece of dog foul.

"I think I do, sir. Wasn't she the one who lost her cool in the festival and attacked someone for trying to shake her hand?"

"That was staged," Yang snapped, her temper spiking. Out of everything that had happened, that still stung, not least of all because in all the drama of the aftermath, no one had bothered to clear her name. Anyone involved knew the truth, being able to figure out that confirmed terrorist Mercury Black had probably been involved in some way, but the general public weren't quite as privy to that information. "Besides," she went on, "he was working with Cinder Fall, the one involved with everything in the first place."

"Did you know that when you broke his leg?"

"His partner placed an illusion on me."

Corporal Forrest smirked. "A likely story."

"Now, now," Redcliff said, silencing his partner as Yang fumed. "Like she says, I'm sure that's a misunderstanding. After all, the Council would _never_ let a confirmed criminal become a police officer, right?" They both laughed.

To their surprise, Yang laughed. Her crew behind her, who had already learned a little of her personality in the time they'd been together, suddenly looked nervous. "You know what, you're right," Yang said. "I _am_ a criminal in a way."

"Oh? You admit it? What did you do?"

"I broke a Police Captain's jaw," Yang said, shifting her foot to the side. "I think his name was Re-mf!"

"Redcliff, was it?" Roman asked, one hand over Yang's mouth and the other drawing her back behind him as he smirked charismatically. "I wondered why I didn't recognise your name, but I think I've figured it out. You're one of those people who _didn't_ ever come close to catching me." He waved one hand distractedly as the two officers' faces turned bright red. "I tend to remember those who prove problematic, but you two didn't even show up on my radar. Pretty embarrassing, but hey, if you want to be incompetent then that only made my job easier."

"Why, you-"

"And, of course, it wasn't the boys in blue who picked me up in the end, was it? Oh, no, no, no, it was a couple of teenage girls. Fancy that. Maybe if you'd spent more time working and less trying to rile up the people you don't like, you'd have done better." He sighed dramatically. "I guess we'll never know. So, what were we doing again? You were telling us which way to go, hmm?"

"Ranking officers to the left," Redcliff spat. "Main meeting is in there. Everyone else is in the hall on the other side for a general debriefing."

"There…" Roman chuckled. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"It would seem not," Yang echoed, amused at the brutal put-down, even if she was annoyed Roman had done it for her. There was no arguing he wasn't better than her, however. When it came to words and belittling people, he was a master. She caught his elbow when he made to follow after the others. "You're with me," she said.

"But I thought he said-"

"You're a Corporal now. Congrats."

Roman saw it for what it was – her using him as a human shield to draw all the fire away from her – and sighed dramatically. "Do I at least get a raise?"

"Probably," she said, heading in the direction Redcliff had pointed. "Come to think of it, I never really checked what our pay is. I guess I'll have to now that I need a place to stay. Beacon isn't an option, and I doubt my team is after what just happened."

"They'd put you up if you asked."

Yang hummed but didn't say anything. Ruby and the others probably would, whatever the argument between them, but she didn't want to risk that, nor see them at the moment. "I'll go shopping for an apartment later on."

"Me too, it seems." He cocked his head to the side. "We _could_ live together, you know. It would be convenient."

"Not in your wildest dreams." Yang opened the door and stepped in, leaving Roman to follow. He bumped into her a second later, and let out a long sigh when he saw what she saw. It wasn't a conference room.

It was the janitor's closet.

"I guess this is going to be a recurring thing," he said mournfully. "Can't say I expected the other forces to like the idea of us taking away their work, or the thought of us doing it better than them, but this is pathetic." He stepped back, the two of them falling in line to follow some other officers as Redcliff and Forrest laughed at them. "I'm guessing that interview on the news made it worse."

"Yeah well they better get used to it, Roman. I don't intend to fall behind."

The ex-thief chuckled. "That'll be one way to get back at them. I can't wait to see the look on their faces if we bust this operation before they do. Think it'll be jealousy or outright horror?"

It could be either – and both were appealing. It would wipe their smirks away.

Yang grinned.

"I guess we'll see when we do it."

/-/

Yang hadn't attended many conferences in her time – hell, even the things she did attend were more commonly known as festivals or concerts, but even in her mind when she'd imagined a dusty conference room filled with business people, she hadn't quite accounted for how much barely-restrained dislike there would be.

 _Okay, so Roman wasn't wrong about the other police chiefs not being happy to see us._ They were sat at a long, oblong table made of some dark wood and polished to a near shine. The chairs were stiff-backed but plush, and they'd each been provided a small notepad, a glass of water and a choice of pens. Yang fidgeted with one and tried to ignore the numerous holes she could feel being burned into the side of her head. It was bad enough when people stared because she was disabled and only had one arm, but this wasn't even that. This was pure and unadulterated scorn.

A part of her understood it. These people had dedicated their careers to upholding the law, and since they were all superior officers, they probably were fairly passionate about it. The VSPR – and her by association – flew directly against that, and were probably seen as a personal slight against them. The fact that it had been them to unearth this recent conspiracy was just salt in the wound. She understood their anger, but that didn't make it any easier to bear. She wasn't even a criminal like the others, just the poor sap put in charge of them.

Tarnished by association. Suddenly, she could understand why the previous Captains had taken their first chance to make a run for it.

Luckily, the mood was lifted as the man at the head of the table, Ozpin of all people, stood.

"Thank you all for coming. I understand you must be busy, but I have been asked to stand in as liaison for the Council in this trying time. As you might expect, the Councillors are busy addressing the public and working to quell panic. As you know, I am Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

There were was a pause quickly filled with mumbled greetings and welcomes, little more than polite noise to show there was no disapproval.

"Let us move onto the point, as I am sure you all desire to return to your stations and pass on these instructions to the men and women serving under you. As of 1800 hours yesterday, a White Fang operation was discovered at the Middivale Pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. Hostages were taken, but no ransom was issued and the White Fang continued to run the facility in secret, fulfilling all existing orders for MVP products across the city. I'm sure the media, and the ever-delightful Miss Lavender, have made you aware that the White Fang may or may not have _tampered_ with the shipments. I regret to inform you all that this is true."

This time, the noise was louder – with many people firing out questions Yang couldn't even decipher, so garbled were they. Ozpin weathered the storm without batting an eye, and after a minute or two, it subsided.

"Yes," Ozpin said, sighing. "This is a trying time. Research and medical teams are hard at work trying to decipher what exactly the concoction has changed, with MVP themselves dedicating all their resources alongside ours in order to minimise the scandal. From what we have been able to see so far, the effect it has seems to induce some kind of primal rage on the victim. Units on the scene described it as being akin to a zombie."

The people around the table laughed derisively, even as Yang ducked her head and whispered a quiet curse towards Mercury. That idiot had probably been spouting it to anyone who would listen.

"Whatever the case, the aggression shown is still a danger, and might have been the White Fang's plan all along. Shipments have been recalled and products are being removed from shelves, but it is important that you all increase the presence of your forces on the streets for the next week or so. Until all the drugs have been recovered, there is potential for anyone to descent into a state of pure rage – and for that to translate into tragedy. The public will need reassurance, and someone to run to should the worst occur."

"How are we to subdue the victims?" someone asked, a gruff old man with a handlebar moustache and narrow eyes. "Is there anything we should be concerned about? Can the chemical be transferred by saliva or blood?"

"We do not have all the answers yet, but those will be forwarded to you as soon as we do. In the meantime, the White Fang rendered unconscious in the raid have all recovered and shown no ill-effects but for nausea and those of their injuries. As such, knocking out the victim is a forceful, but perhaps necessary method. If they are small, weak or frail, you might be able to restrain them without much trouble."

"This is going to be a scandal," another commented, a wiry woman of thirty or forty years. Her hair was black, but had started to grey in places due to stress, and there were crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. "Whether we contain the situation or not, it will be police assaulting innocent citizens on the streets. The media will have a field day. I won't have brave men and women made fools of."

"I will be talking to the media," Ozpin assured. "We will all of us have to band together in order to deal with this, but I have been told to let you know that the Council will support law enforcement in whatever means prove necessary."

"Even lethal force?"

"In self-defence, and only as a last resort. We hope it will not come to it."

"What of huntsmen and huntresses?" another cried, banging a fist on the table. "Am I to be expected to send people out after them? Their training makes them dangerous enough, but they'll also be armed to the teeth. It will be a massacre!"

"We already have a team available who will deal with more dangerous citizens," Ozpin said, and Yang felt a pit open up in her stomach as he looked towards her. She shook her head, trying to tell him no, but there was no having it and he smiled back. "Captain Yang Xiao-Long, if you could stand up."

Her chair scraped back as she stood. Beside her, Roman tried to duck his head to avoid being seen, but with his bright hair and familiar features it was a lost cause. Muffled mumbling and whispered oaths reached her ears, but they all drowned out as she swallowed. Being the centre of attention wasn't something she was keen on, and even less so when it was like this.

"Captain Xiao-Long was in charge of the team responsible for discovering the White Fang plot, and for rescuing the hostages being held. As a team which consists solely of huntsman-level officers, she will be acting as fast response for any out-of-control combatants above your level."

"A team of huntsmen, huh?" the woman from before asked. Her eyes bore into Yang's. "More like a team of crooks and murderers."

Others agreed, voiding their anger and frustration while Yang stood and looked out over it all, a picture of calm despite the mounting panic she felt deep inside. She wasn't calm, but by gods, she was going to _look_ it even if it killed her.

"This matter is non-negotiable," Ozpin said, either impervious to their rage or uncaring. "It is not a request but instruction. Failure to inform the VSPR of a potential huntsman-threat will be seen as sabotage, the punishment for which will depend on how large of a fallout results from it. Captain Xiao-Long's details will be sent to each of you should you need to contact her. The VSPR are to be calling out only or huntsman-level criminals induced by what we are colloquially calling _Fang_."

"Fang?" someone echoed. "Well, it's close enough. What news on the White Fang themselves?"

"None, I'm afraid. Although many prisoners were taken, no information has been gleaned so far, unless Captain Xiao-Long has anything to add? You did spirit away one suspect if I recall."

Mark – the guy they'd accidentally sent into a rage and then not-so-accidentally knocked out. "Nothing, sir," she replied. "He wouldn't even give a name."

"That is a shame. We will give what information we have as we receive it, but obviously the White Fang take priority over any other criminal activity at this time. I will not mince words, ladies and gentlemen. This is a national emergency in everything but name. We are hesitating to call it due to the potential for civil panic and unrest, and because it would no doubt be playing into the White Fang's hands. All precincts are being asked to investigate any leads they can."

Yang nodded and sat down, and everyone else at the table nodded as well. Whatever their motives, the White Fang were public enemy number one now. With Cinder gone, there wasn't anyone else to fill the void.

"That concludes this meeting," Ozpin said, stepping out from behind the table and towards the door. His intent to escape while he could was clear, and Yang glowered at the fact she wouldn't be able to follow. "I wish you all well. Good day."

"Come on," Yang hissed the moment he was gone. She and Roman practically leapt to their feet and headed to the door, eager to escape. Before they could, a woman stepped in front of it, her black and blue uniform neat and tight fit against a frame that was more muscular than would have been expected. It was the one from earlier, with the greying hair and dangerous eyes.

"Do you have a moment, Captain?" she asked, voice making it clear the answer was a foregone conclusion. "I'd like to speak with you." She looked to Roman. "In private, if that is at all possible."

"Happy to assist," Roman said, slipping out of her grasp and away before she could stop him.

That absolute basta-

"Captain Xiao-Long, was it?"

"Yang," Yang replied. "I'm a Captain, but you can just call me Yang if you like."

Whether the woman before her approved or not was impossible to tell. She hummed, and the sound alone was so noncommittal she could have given Miss Goodwitch a run for her money. "My name is Mira Ash, Chief Intendant of the VCPD, Vale Central PD."

Yang nodded. The police were split into areas for the most part, though any one force could travel into another in order to pursue a suspect. It was more for administrative purposes and to avoid any one department being expected to cover too large an area, from what she understood. Vale Central, of the centre of Vale, was by far the most influential part of the city. It was where the wealthy and the elite lived. That meant the woman was powerful. Much more powerful than the two-day old Captain of a hated force like hers.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Yang said, wishing she could be anywhere else. Polite small talk had never been her thing, nor had politics and yet it looked like she was stuck with both. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No."

She winced at the clear-cut, arctic response.

"I did not come to bandy words, but simply to pass on a message. I do not know who you are, _Yang_ , and I do not particularly care, either. Should any huntsman be affected by Fang in my territory, my people's lives will rely on your fast and efficient response." Her eyes narrowed and she stepped past Yang, making sure to pause when their heads were almost aligned. "If your unit steps out of line or endangers my people, I will personally see your head roll – whether it is _you_ who causes the issue, or one of your _reformed_ officers. Do not give me reason to doubt you." She continued on, though not without a parting line. "That will be all, Captain."

It was only once she was gone that the chill in the air receded, and that Yang dared to continue breathing once more. That had been as good a threat as any, and from the woman's voice, and her posture, she was more than prepared to back it up. She had training; huntress training.

"Two days on the job, and it's not getting any easier," Yang groaned. She slipped out before anyone else could catch her, however, and grabbed Roman by the ear from where he was busy trying to chat up some pretty waitress.

She had a feeling the next six months weren't going to get any easier.

* * *

 **Some drier content towards the end of this chapter, though I tried to keep it short and skim over just the important parts of Ozpin's speech to get the bare minimum across without turning it into a snooze fest. It only clocked in at 2,000 words, so hopefully that wasn't too much.**

 **And yes, things aren't simple for the VSPR, even after technically remaining a unit in operation. The normal police are hardly pleased to see the criminals they spent so much time putting behind bars out and free again, and even less so that they have to treat them as equals.**

 **I actually took the janitor closet trick from what happened to my college law teacher, when a law change came in that Solicitors could now represent in the High Court (which used to be exclusive to Barristers). She went to represent a client, and she spoke with a Barrister who pointed her in the direction of the changing rooms (where they put on their robes and wigs), or so she thought, but that he'd instead sent her to the janitor's toilets as an insult towards a "mere solicitor" daring to think she could be as good as a "barrister". Very snooty kind of person there, but I felt it fit in this example.**

 **And yeah, RWB and Y still at ends with one another.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**And the next chapter of Captain Dragon.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."

"Rarghhh!"

The middle-aged man failed to heed her instructions, though to be fair, that wasn't his fault. His face was flushed and sweating and his eyes were dilated, all clear signs of Fang running through his system. Had he been in his right mind, he might have been a danger – for he was a Huntsman at least ten years older than her. Fortunately, Fang didn't leave much in the way of intelligence, and he hadn't even drawn his weapon, instead closing with hands outstretched to rip and tear.

"Ugh, I'm sorry about this," Yang said. She ducked to the left, deflecting one arm with hers as she slipped under and around the man's back. A quick stomp to the back of the knee brought him down, and she pressed a knee to his throat, trying to choke him unto unconsciousness. His arms flailed for her face, but she kept them away with her one hand. "This'll be safer for you," she whispered, trying futilely to calm him down. "You'll be knocked out without any nasty bruises, and you'll be right as rain when you wake up."

Better than using her weapon on him, which would cut out huge chunks of aura, and even cause permanent injury if she wasn't careful. Still, the sounds of the poor guy gasping for breath weren't exactly pleasant. She clenched her eyes shut and tried to ignore it, breathing a sigh of relief and moving her leg away when he went still. A quick check showed a steady pulse and signs of breathing.

"Thank goodness," she breathed. Her voice rose as she turned to the side. "I've got this one. How are you doing, Roman?"

"Fore!" Roman yelled, swinging his cane like a club as it _crashed_ into the side of the huntress' face. She fell like a sack of rocks.

"ROMAN!"

"What? She's got aura." The _reformed_ thief kicked the woman's ribs to check she was still alive, and the muffled groan suggested it.

"Gentle!" Yang hissed, stomping up and poking him in the breastbone. "How many times do I have to tell you these people didn't _ask_ to be like this?"

"Eh, you know me." He rapped the side of his skull and stuck his tongue out. "I'm so airheaded."

She wanted to knock him out, but that would only give him the excuse to pull out of work for a day or two, and she didn't like the idea of being on the beat alone. With a defeated sigh, she threw her arm in the air and stomped over to the regular police officers, who were clustered around a squad car nearby. Close enough to help if needed, but not enough to be caught in any crossfire they might cause.

"The two are down," she said, jerking a thumb backwards. "Do you lot know how to deal with them?"

"We got the briefing," one said, sounding nervous and inexperienced. "We take them to the nearest hospital, right? If they wake up, we ask them some questions to see if they're rational, but insist they see a doctor before they're dismissed."

Yang nodded and fought back a yawn. They'd been running back and forth across Vale all day, and she couldn't wait for Mercury and Junior to take over their shift. The VSS didn't have the staff to cover the whole city at once, and there was no telling when someone might get infected. They'd needed to spread shifts out to cover the city for all 24 hours, which meant eight hour shifts of solid call-outs for each duo. She was exhausted.

Still, the officers looked nervous, so she tried for her best smile. "That's right. As far as I've heard, everyone who wakes up has a killer headache, but no traces of aggression left in them. They'll be totally safe now, so you guys needn't worry."

"And what about _him_?" one of the older ones asked, nodding behind her. She followed his gaze.

"You mean Roman?" She laughed when the man nodded. "He's fine," she said, honestly a little surprised to find that she was being honest. That wasn't because she'd gained any faith in him, of course, but more than she'd learned some of his traits and mannerisms. "He's as tired as I am which means his snark is at an all-time low. He'll glower and mumble, but there's no energy behind it."

True to her words, Roman slumped against their own police car and puffed on a cigar. He'd managed to fashion together a VSPR uniform which had similar colour patterns to his old outfit, the white and black contrasting across his body, but that proved a poor choice with how badly he was sweating, not to mention the grime and blood (none of it his), splattered across the white fabric. Yang hazarded she didn't look much better. Her black mantle had been abandoned, being far too ornate for actual fighting, and she'd instead gone with a blue police jacket over a black tank-top, the jacket open thanks to the baking heat. She'd tired the sleeve of her missing arm into a knot, and she knew people looked at it whenever they saw her.

That would have normally bothered her, but she was just too tired for it.

"Finished dealing with the kindergarten patrol?" Roman asked, nodding in the direction of the police as they moved out to collect the two criminals. Or victims, as it were. The only criminal stood before her, puffing mercilessly on a cigar. She'd never really liked the idea of smoking, nor those who did it in front of her, but she couldn't help but wish there was some other vice-free method of getting its relaxant properties.

Sure, there were herbal remedies and medicine, but the current situation had kind of put her off over-the-counter medication. An outbreak of some kind of rage-plague tended to have that effect.

"They're doing their best," she said, taking the chance to lean against the squad car beside him. The day really was too hot for this kind of work. "Besides, it's not like you can expect them to fight off people with aura. Even if people affected by Fang are almost mindless, they're still huntsman-trained."

"Hmm…" Roman's acknowledgement wasn't filled with much in the way of understanding or sympathy, but then again neither was he. "This is still a pain in the ass. Is our shift over yet?"

Yang checked her scroll, and then, just to be safe, checked the car radio as well. When she heard Junior answering a radio call for assistance, she sighed and brought her head back out. "Yep. Junior and Mercury have started the afternoon shift."

Roman tried for a cheer, but it came out more as a groan. Junior and mercury had the second-hardest shift moving into the afternoon, but their own was the worst. She and Roman had from the hours of nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, which caught the times when most people woke up and might take some medicine for whatever ailment they had. It was the busiest period by far, but Yang had grudgingly taken it on purpose, remembering Mira Ash's warning in the meeting. She was being judged for how the VSPR worked, and with that in mind, she'd best handle the hardest parts of the job herself.

There was a reason Miltia and Melanie had been given the night-time shift, which was far quieter than any of the day ones. The VSPR didn't need the kinds of damage those two caused on their record. Their brand of justice was fine against terrorists and criminals, but not so much the average guy or girl who'd been cruelly affected by contaminated drugs.

 _I guess I have Ozpin to thank for so few huntsmen and huntresses being infected,_ Yang thought. The headmaster must have used his influence with their type to pass the news around, and she could imagine Miss Goodwitch stalking the halls confiscating painkillers like they were Class-A drugs. Either way, she hadn't had the displeasure of having to arrest any of her old classmates, so that was a good thing.

"Do you think what we're doing here is enough?" she asked.

Roman cocked a brow. "Hm?"

"To keep the VSPR going," she amended, seeing his eyes light up in understanding. "I mean, this is what the Council wants, so we're doing our job…"

"But we're not bringing in the White Fang. Yeah, I get what you mean." Roman sighed and drew out another cigar, watching alongside her as the police officers closed the door on the two unconscious huntsmen and drove them off towards the hospital, lights flashing but sirens turned off. In the peace that followed, Yang was painfully aware of just how many civilians were staring in their direction.

Was it the fact Roman Torchwick stood there, casually smoking away? Or was it the one-armed girl with an open jacket baring more than enough skin, but also lacking an arm? Hell, maybe they didn't care for either, and instead stared at the black police car with the yellow and silver VSPR logo emblazoned on the side.

"They can't criticise us, but we're not exactly excelling right now," Yang continued, choosing to ignore the stares for now. "I'm just worried they'll use that as an excuse once this dies down. People are going to remember that the Council and police moved fast to protect everyone, but our name will be forgotten."

"And the fame that's making us too important to shut down," Roman agreed. "You're not wrong, boss. We could do to get another victory under our belt, but at the same time, if we mess up and let even a single person run rampage, I'm pretty sure we both know who the Council is going to blame."

Yang did, and couldn't even bring herself to feel surprised. Right now, they were riding on some good opinion for discovering this plot before it got worse, but they could just as easily become scapegoats if needed. The Council only cared for their own political careers, after all.

"I don't suppose your contact can find us something else, can he?"

"The one that got us the info here? Nah. He's dead."

Yang spluttered for air at _that_ little titbit. She shot Roman a look, eyes wide. "Dead?" she gasped. "What happened to him?"

"Uh, didn't I just say? He's dead. He got killed."

"Not that." Yang growled and punched him in the stomach. Roman took it easily, having solid abs despite his many bad habits. "How did he die? How do you know he was killed? Why aren't you more concerned about this?"

"Because it happens. The kid was a small-time information dealer getting in over his head. There's no shortage of them, and no shortage of bodies that turn up when someone pries too deep." Roman sighed and flicked the stub of his cigar away. When he made no move to stomp it out, Yang scowled and did it for him. He smirked at her effort.

"You don't think it's a bad thing he died, then? Wasn't he your friend?"

"You don't make friendships in the underworld, Captain. You make deals, acquaintances – and in rare situations – fruitful partnerships. This was neither. It's a shame, and I can't say I _expected_ this to get him killed. I doubt he did, either, but then again, _none_ of us expected the White Fang to be running something this big." Roman shrugged. "The kid found out something dangerous and we shut it down. That kind of thing has consequences."

"So, we're back to square one, albeit we have a bigger grace period than the last time. I take it you haven't got anyone else willing to sell some Intel to you?"

"After what just happened to this poor sap?"

Good point. The White Fang had sent a message by killing this guy, and she doubted anyone else would be feeling confident enough to take the risk. Junior might have, had he still been in business, but his arrest had created a power vacuum and there weren't any information dealers with guards and protection like he'd had.

"I might know someone," Roman said suddenly. "I've already put some feelers out, but it's complicated. I'll have to see how it goes, but I wouldn't expect any immediate results."

"I'll need to find another way," Yang mumbled, earning a nod from the man. Even if she felt disappointed by that, there was a glimmer of hope, or maybe determination. She'd had far less time to save the VSPR a few days back, and she'd pulled it off. At the very least now, she had until the Fang epidemic died out - and then probably a few weeks beyond to give them time to investigate it. Provided no one else solved the White Fang case before they did, which seemed unlikely given the police's current record.

There was time yet, but she couldn't afford to goof off _too_ much. Before that, however, there was something else she had to deal with. She'd slept at her place of work for four days now. She refused to make it five.

"Let's get back and drop off the car," Yang said, sweeping around to the passenger side and letting herself in. Roman grunted his assent and climbed into the driver's seat with a muffled yawn. She had a motorcycle license, but not a car one, and even if she had, operating the gears would have been out of her power with only one arm. Fortunately, Roman knew how to drive. Likely a result of how often he'd spent that time escaping from people.

"We crashing out once we get back, or is there work to do?" he asked, pulling out onto the main road and away.

"No work today. I need to rent an apartment."

"Did the old bastard get us the forward payments?"

"Ozpin," Yang corrected with a stern look. "And yes, he did." She had no idea why, since she'd half-expected him to make his challenge harder by telling her to wait until payday, but he'd surprised her. Understanding that she didn't have the means to support herself, he'd arranged for their first month of pay to come in advance – and the same for Roman, too. "It should be in your account by now."

"Nice. I was getting tired of the couch in the foyer."

Yang's eye twitched, but she refrained from yelling at him. The couch was a damn sight better than her stiff desk and chair, but there was no way she was going to fall asleep in the same room as Roman. Still, a true gentleman would have offered to take the floor.

"Do you have anywhere in mind?" he asked, turning away from traffic and towards their HQ. "We could do a little shopping together if you like. I know some places."

"Thanks, but no thanks. You know what I think of you. We are _not_ living together."

Roman chuckled. "So cruel…"

/-/

It hadn't taken them long to get back to the HQ and park up, or for the two of them to change into more casual clothes and go their separate ways. Yang would have felt bad about leaving Roman unattended, but if he'd wanted to make a run, he'd have been able to do it whether she was there or not. The more important thing was making sure she had a place to stay, and hopefully something a little more long-term while she was at it. Six months wasn't a great amount of time, but it was enough that she'd prefer her own place to a hotel, room service be damned.

It was with that in mind that she found herself sat in a small office at an estate agents, the man she was talking to having promised to stay behind a little after work to process her. He looked tired and bored with the whole affair, but she wasn't going to show him any pity for it.

 _You think you've had a bad day? You don't know the meaning of it…_

"I've been through your records, Miss Xiao-Long, or as much as you have…" He trailed off, as though to ask if she'd be any more forthcoming in person.

"I told you I don't have many. I was a student at Beacon, and now I'm the Captain of a police unit. You've seen my paperwork."

"I know, but you need to understand that many landlords expect a little more than this. They want proof you'll be a long-term tenant, and one that won't cause any problems." He shuffled through some sheets of paper, and she could tell from the look on his face that it wasn't good. "You've only been employed for a week or so…"

"It's a complicated situation."

"You've never held a job before, or rented a property…"

"I lived with my Dad, and then at Beacon." Her eye twitched. "Also, I'm _seventeen_. I think the fact I have such a high paying job at that age is pretty impressive!" And the VSPR _did_ pay well, with danger-allowance included. It was just that she hadn't technically _been_ paid for a full month, yet.

"I don't doubt you, ma'am." And she instantly disliked being called that. "It's just that many of our landlords have requirements, and some will feel nervous taking on someone so young. Your… uh… current company doesn't help."

"I'm here on my own."

"Yes, but you _are_ rather well known, ma'am. D-Don't you work with Roman Torchwick?"

"Work with," she pressed. "I don't _live_ with him. We don't share any time together outside of work."

"Even so, that's bound to make a lot of people nervous. It's not that I don't believe you…" Although the tone of his voice said he didn't. "It's just that most landlords are quite cautious people. They don't want to have to do anything other than rent it out and forget about it. Then there are the horror stories of bad tenants and what they can do…"

Yang sighed and brought her hand up to massage her brow. "You're saying this is a no, then? Look, you don't need to keep going on if you can't find me anywhere to stay. Just say it and I can go check elsewhere."

"Oh, it's not that," the man said, laughing nervously. "I definitely have a place that I'm sure would accept you."

"Then why tell me all of this first?" Yang asked. Her eyes narrowed. "You're trying to prepare me for something…"

He continued to laugh. It was not confident.

"I'm not going to like it, am I?"

"W-Well, since it's the only place that would be willing to accept you, why don't we check it out?"

/-/

It was funny how often her feelings turned out to be spot on. The estate agent looked nervous, and with good reason since the building was a squat and ugly thing cramped between two taller ones on a street that probably hadn't seen law enforcement in several decades. There were hooded people at every corner, and Yang would bet a few were dealing in drugs and other things. Others were just drinking – tossing their bottles to smash on the sidewalk.

"Nice area," she quipped.

"Y-Yes," the man said, jumping slightly. He held his clipboard close to his chest and it looked like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to step closer to her for protection, or further away thanks to the thunderous expression on her face. "Well, why don't we go inside? I-I'm sure the landlord will be happy to see us."

He was, as it turned out – though he appeared more pleased to see her _breasts_ than her. Calling him fat would have been cruel, especially to people struggling with their weight. The man had rivulets on his rivulets, and wore the largest t-shirt he could find, which still looked fit to burst. To make matters worse, he smelled vaguely of something she didn't dare identify, and had beady little eyes that never quite made it all the way back up to hers.

"Hello there," he said, greeting her tits with what he probably thought was a pleasant smile. "The name's Rob Burn. Robin to my friends."

"Charmed," Yang said with a roll of the eyes. Once upon a time she might have asked him to look higher, but the truth of the matter was that she didn't want to extend their meeting any longer than she had to. She held out a hand, and that proved a mistake, for he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

She shuddered.

The estate agent, who knew who she was and what she was capable of, almost pissed himself.

"We're here to look at the apartment on offer," Yang said, drawing her hand back and subtly wiping it on her pant leg when his eyes were drawn back to her chest.

"I can show you, sweetheart."

"I wouldn't want to be a bother, Robin. I'm sure you've got better things to do." She nodded back in the direction of the TV he'd been sat in front of, which gave out a throaty and feminine moan. The estate agent looked mortified. The man in front of her didn't even seem to notice, let alone show any embarrassment.

 _Am I really going to have to stay here?_ Yang wondered. Bunking with Roman was looking more and more enticing. The worst he'd do was murder her in her sleep.

"I-I have to be the one to show her, Mr Burn," the nervous man beside her said, likely realising what would happen if Yang wasn't separated from the dead man in front of her. "It's for legal reasons. I'm sure you understand."

He didn't, but nodded anyway. "Well, if you need me," he said, plodding back to his TV and sitting behind it once more. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the screen.

"What a wonderful start…" Yang muttered.

"I'm sure it'll get better."

"Do you actually believe that?"

He laughed. "It can't get much worse, right?"

The guy had a point, though both she – and he – soon realised such sentiment was woefully misplaced. It started when they ascended the stairs to the second floor, to which the word "rickety" would have been a compliment. They didn't so much creak as cry out for death, and she wondered if she should have felt bad for using them. At one point, the man in front of her stumbled as a step gave way, and would have fallen if not for her fast reflexes.

"T-Thanks," he whispered, not quite meeting her eyes. At least even he seemed embarrassed to be showing her around such a place.

 _Not that it does me much good,_ she thought. _I thought he was leading me on at first, but it's obvious he doesn't want to be here anymore than I do. This really must be the only place that would take me._ She sighed. _Nothing's ever easy…_

"Here it is," he said, turning a key in a door. He seemed surprised – and relieved – when it clicked open without falling off its hinges. Yang shot him a coy look and he flushed. "Well, everything seems to be in order. Let's take a look inside."

If they'd hoped the interior would be any better than the rest of the building, they were obviously disappointed, though not – dare she admit it – quite as much as she'd dreaded. The walls were threadbare and peeling, and the couch in the sitting room gave `old` new meaning, but from the look of the property, and of its owner, she'd prepared herself mentally for cockroaches and holes in the walls.

It was a piece or crap, but there wasn't an insect infestation, and there _was_ an air-conditioning and heating unit, as old and battered as everything else, but still in one piece. The kitchen and living room were one room cut in the middle by a wooden counter, while there was little more than two doors leading off, one to a bathroom and the other a bedroom. The agent showed her around nervously, as relieved as she to enter each room and not find insects, rats or some passed-out drug dealer slumped on the floor.

"It's a starter apartment for sure," he said, valiantly trying to sell it up. "Its best aspects are its price, which is very competitive for being in the city of Vale. Why, it's almost half the price of many other apartments in the area."

"I'm impressed," Yang said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you actually managed to say all that with a straight face."

"O-Oh…" He slumped, and then coughed into one hand. "Okay, yeah, it's a dump, I'll admit it. There isn't much I can do, though. Almost all the landlords on our books want at least two months of someone being in a job before they'll let them sign a tenancy agreement." He smiled apologetically. "If you come back to me after that, I could have you in a luxury apartment for the wages you earn. It's just that I can't offer that now. I'm really sorry."

Yang sighed. She wanted to be angry, but it wasn't really his fault. It wasn't hers either, nor the other landlords, who had all sorts of reasons to be wary – not of her, but of other people who probably _had_ been bad tenants, and who had set a bad example for everyone else. "It's fine," she said. "Well, not the place. I mean, this looks like something out of a murder movie."

The agent's smile was weak.

"But I mean, this is it, right? This is the only place you could find."

"I-I can keep looking," he promised. "If you want to keep using us, I mean. I'd understand if you didn't."

"I'd appreciate it if you could."

In the end, she signed the agreement for the apartment – after going through all the small print and having it explained to her. The agent promised to keep looking in the meanwhile, and explained that he might be able to speak privately with some landlords and try to arrange a meeting. In his words, they might make an exception if they met and trusted her as a person, as the rules were just to keep the bad kind of people away.

There was no telling if she'd qualify as that, or course – not with her job description, but maybe that would depend on how well the VSPR worked out. They had a chance to craft their own reputation, though there was no telling whether that would be good or bad in the end.

 _It's only for six months,_ she reminded herself as the agent left. She'd offered to walk him back to the high street, but he'd ordered a taxi to the building – too afraid to chance the streets, even with her as protection. Honestly, she didn't blame him.

"Well, it's a step down from Beacon," she said, airing out the blankets. They were dusty, but relatively clean. The mattress was also worn, but not broken anywhere. "Though I have my own kitchen, so that's a plus." She'd checked all the appliances before she signed anything, and there was only a light broken in the fridge. It still worked.

"Dad would be furious if he could see this. It's only temporary, though." She sighed and fell back on the mattress, her single arm held over her eyes. She was working her ass off anyway, so it didn't really matter if this place was a hellhole. "Heh, keep telling yourself that," she whispered, laughing at her own misfortune.

 _You could have stayed at Uncle Qrow's, you know._

"Yeah, but then I'd be mooching off him."

 _Since when has that been a bad thing?_

"Since I needed to prove a point." She rolled over and cheek pressed against the mattress. "Everyone thinks I'm suddenly useless because of my arm. I need to show them I'm not. That means no crawling off to Uncle Qrow because I couldn't find a place to live. Normal people have to deal with this, and I can too."

 _Besides,_ she thought, as she drifted off. _It's only for a couple of months…_

/-/

It was seven when Yang let herself back into the HQ, and judging from the cars in the parking lot, Miltia and Melanie were still there, despite being on shift. That probably had more to do with Fang outbreaks being quiet in the early morning than laziness, however. As she let herself in with a tired yawn, Roman's voice washed over her.

"Oh, it's great – you should see it. Even had little chocolates waiting for me in the- oh, hey, boss." Roman leaned his head back over the sofa, Miltia and Melanie hanging onto each of his arms, both smiling happily. Compared to the last couple of days, he looked freshly washed and back to his usual splendour – that was to say he'd found some mascara.

"You're in a good mood," Yang said, yawning. Her bed had been lumpy and stiff all night, though it was the creaking from next door which kept her up. At first, she'd thought it the floorboards, but she'd later realised it was bed springs.

The male – and only male – grunting hadn't helped. She could tell from the sound of it, there wasn't two men in that bed, which meant she'd been privy to something she'd rather die than experience again.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Roman asked, laughing. "It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and I just had the _best_ breakfast I've ever tasted. I kid you not, _exquisite_! Not to mention I got to wash off all that hard work with a trip in a sauna." He sighed happily. "Even had enough left over for a massage."

Yang's eye continued to twitch, her hand clenched into a fist as she counted to ten and back down again.

"What about you?" Roman asked, somehow failing to notice her fury. "You find a place to stay?"

"Yes," she gritted out.

"Cool. I couldn't find one at first, mostly because my records aren't exactly great, but I came up with the idea of booking a holiday instead. For the next three weeks, I'm holidaying in Vale at Le Maison Hotel. It cost me most of my pay packet, but I've got all-inclusive food and drink, not to mention access to the pool, sauna and gym. The room is amazing." He grinned crookedly. "How about you? Your place nice?"

"It's lovely," Yang lied, forcing out her best smile. She wanted to strangle the cunning bastard. "Needs a lick of paint, but really homey. It's got…" She fought for the right word. "Character..."

"Character, huh? Sounds like a nice place. Anyway, I was just inviting the girls over if they ever want to have a drink." He grinned roguishly and cuddled the two closer to his side. "My treat, of course."

"Oh, Roman." Miltia giggled. "You're always such a gentleman."

"Hmm," Melanie agreed, running a finger over his chest. "You know _just_ how to treat a girl…"

"Shouldn't you two be working?" Yang asked, annoyed at the sight. She and Roman had worked their asses off all of yesterday, and since she'd heard neither hide nor hair from Junior or Mercury, she could imagine they had, too.

"We were earlier," Melanie said, looking back her way. "There were a few arrests around one or two. Apparently, some party animals have been deciding Fang is some kind of cool drug to `dare` your friends to take."

Yang growled and shook her head. "Are people idiots? Why would they do that?"

"Why does anyone do stupid shit like that? The thrill, mostly. That or no common sense. Anyway, we had to go and break up a small riot at a nightclub."

"We only broke a few bones," Miltia giggled.

"You better not have," Yang warned, imagining the paperwork. That she hadn't been woken up by an irate Ozpin – or an even angrier Police Captain – she assumed they were trying to lead her on. Those two seemed to get off on riling her up. "Anyway, you two are still on the clock until nine. I'll be in my office if you need me. Has anyone fed Mark?"

"I took him a bacon sandwich earlier," Miltia said dismissively. "He said something about telling me nothing. I didn't really listen."

"Cool," Yang nodded, equally uninterested. "Alright, I'll be in my office if you need me. Try not to."

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

Yang nodded and pushed through the door into the back corridors towards her office, muttering the whole way. "Stupid Roman, stupid landlords, stupid fancy five-star hotels. Who needs them? Not me. I don't need those things at all. I'm happy with a dusty bedroom and a greasy sausage Bap. Totally."

It wasn't like she missed Beacon's cafeteria making food for her at all, or Dad doing it when she'd been back home in Patch and recovering. Not one bit. Her stomach disagreed, but it could take a hike, too. With a growl, she opened the door to her office.

"Hello there," the suited man in her seat greeted warmly.

Yang paused, and then sighed as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. When the man made to speak, she held a hand up and walked around her desk, taking the phone off the hook and dialling the number of the main desk. It rang several times before someone answered.

" _Yo, VSPR,"_ Melanie yawned. _"Give me a reason to care or hang up."_

"It's Yang."

" _I-I mean VSPR, how can we help you today?"_

Yang rolled her eyes. "Cute. Do you mind me asking why you didn't tell me someone was waiting in my office?"

" _What are you on about?"_ Melanie sounded genuinely confused, and Yang's eyes narrowed on the figure patiently waiting with a smile on his face. He was handsome, she supposed, though not in any dramatic way. He had dirty-blonde hair and a clean-shaven face.

"You didn't see anyone enter earlier and ask for me?"

" _No. Mil and I were off on a case in the morning, but we've been here since four. Why, is something here? You need us to get rid of someone?"_ Miltia cracked her knuckled through the receiver.

"No. It's fine. Thanks for checking." Yang hung up, turning to regard the man who suddenly seemed a lot more dangerous despite not moving a muscle, nor making a threatening gesture. If Miltia and Melanie had been in the main foyer, then there was no way they could have missed someone entering. That meant the guy came in while they were gone – which meant he'd have had to break in. That would have required some serious effort.

Or serious clearance…

"You realise it's a crime to break into a police station, right?"

"I do," the man replied, his voice even. He smiled and rose from her seat, offering it back. Yang checked it before she sat down, unwilling to look nervous by refusing it, but not wanting to be ambushed either. He didn't _look_ like he was armed, but that didn't always mean anything. "However, I don't believe you will press charges against me, Miss Xiao-Long."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because it would take weeks and you simply don't have the time to waste. Of course, that's assuming any charges would stick in the first place." The man bowed from the waist, sweeping a hand before him with a pleasant smile. "My name is Vincent. Vincent Saint-Sinclair. I am something of a collector – an avid collector, you might say, and I-"

"Is this going somewhere?" Yang asked, interrupting him before he could get started. "Look, Vincent, right? Let's be straight. I'm not a subtle person. If you're making some kind of grand overtone, then it's gone right over my head." She waved her hand above her for emphasis. "I'm tired, grumpy, and about to start a day's work of fighting innocent people who don't deserve it. I have _so_ little time right now, and I'd like to get some work done."

"You wish me to cut to the chase?"

"Preferably, yes."

"I'm a messenger."

"I thought you said you were a collector…"

"Cut to the chase, or go back to the metaphors?"

"Sorry. Go on."

"I'm a messenger," he continued, still smiling politely. "I work for some influential people whose interests currently coincide with your own. I've been tasked with meeting with you to provide a port of contact between the VSPR and ourselves. Our higher-ups believe that you might be an… asset to our goals."

 _This is the basic version? How confusing would the long story have been?_ Yang sighed and felt another headache coming – and cursed as she realised she yet again didn't dare take any medicine for it. Still, it looked like the guy wanted an answer. "Okay? I'll throw out one thing. I'm not interested in working for the mafia, so if this is one of those crooked cop things, then no. Thanks for asking, but no. Also, you're under arrest."

"I am not a part of the mafia," Vincent – if that was even his name – said. "And you- wait, are you handcuffing me!?"

"Are you surprised?" Yang asked, doing just that. Whatever the guy was, he wasn't particularly fast, since she'd managed to cuff his wrist to hers without any trouble. Well, that or he was just caught off-guard, which his wide eyes and open mouth seemed to suggest.

Oh look, she'd flustered the super-mysterious man. How cute.

Bet he didn't see that one coming.

"I-I am on your side," he stammered. "We are on your side. I think you're misunderstanding the situation, Miss Xiao-"

"Captain," she interrupted, grinning. "You'll address me by my title, thanks. Or you can call me Sir. Trust me, you don't want to know what happened to the last person I told that to."

"Captain, then. This is a terrible misunderstanding. I am not working for any illegal organisation. Our goals are aligned."

"Of course they are," she said, standing and hauling him behind her. "And you can tell me all about them in your shiny new cell."

"What would you even arrest me for?"

"Metaphorical nonsense?"

"That's not a crime!"

"Breaking and entry, then. Is _that_ a crime, Mr Sinclair?"

"A-Admittedly…" He cut off as she dragged him down the stairs into the basement, where the painted and plastered walls gave way to solid grey. The basement was almost entirely a prison block, though there were also a few storage rooms for weapons, replete with locked cabinets. Calling it a cell block was maybe a little much, since there were only three cells, each solid concrete on three sides with bars and a door on the front. They were side by side along one side of the basement.

In one of them, a figure stirred to life atop his bed. "You've come," he said at last. "You can interrogate me all you want, human scum. I'll never tell you anything!"

"I'm not here to interrogate you."

"You're not?" The faunus managed to sound disappointed. "Then what are you here for?"

"Nothing to do with you."

"O-Oh…"

"Come along, Vincent. Now, because I'm nice, which would you like? You can have the left-most cell or the right-most. You can't have the middle since Mark has seniority."

"My name isn't Mark!"

Yang ignored him, and instead focused on her rapidly paling prisoner. "Or," she said, smiling. "You can get straight to the point, stop wasting my time, and tell me why I shouldn't arrest you altogether. If you make it _really_ quick, I might even let you go altogether. How does that sound?"

Good, apparently.

"We have information on the White Fang!"

"Now _that_ changes things," Yang said, suddenly all smiles as she brought her _guest_ back in front of her. "Why didn't you say so? You really should just get to the point instead of leading a girl on. She might get upset or something."

"S-So I see. I apologise, Captain. The organisation I have been sent from desires to see the White Fang threat dealt with."

"And you came to us instead of the regular police?"

"They're overstretched and fragmented. Even then, we don't think they have the necessary skills. Your group does."

Well, she couldn't argue with him there. The White Fang had been around for ages, long before Beacon fell, and before she'd even enrolled in the first place. The police hadn't even been able to stop Roman – that had been left to four teenage girls in their first year of school. Not exactly the most glowing of records.

"We don't know everything," Vincent said, "but we're working to try and find out more. With the current nightmare the Fang outbreak has caused, our resources are spread thin. We need someone to act on what we have, and one of my superiors suggested you personally."

"Really? Who?"

"I can't say – _can't_ ," he added quickly when her eyebrow rose. "I don't know him by name, only position. I-If our relationship proves fruitful, I'm sure he'll deign to speak with you in person, but for now everything has to be through me. It's a security issue."

"I'll let that go for now," Yang said, though she made a note to look into it later. The only person she could think of was Ozpin, but if that were the case, wouldn't the guy have just said his name in the first minute? A whole lot of drama could have been avoided if he'd just said `Ozpin sent me to talk to you`. No. This was someone else. "What do you have for us?" she asked.

"Nothing concrete, I'm afraid. Not yet. What I do have is a file on a research group that worked with Middivale Pharmaceuticals, however. It's in my inner-left breast pocket."

Yang nodded and motioned for him to reach for it. She'd have done it herself, but her arm was cuffed to his. She relaxed when he brought out a small black card for her to take. It would fit into a scroll, but she pocketed it for now. "What's so odd about these researchers?"

"Only that they're the only company to know the formula for the MVP product that was contaminated. They keep their recipes secret, so my superior was intrigued to learn that the White Fang had managed to crack it so quickly."

"Didn't they find it at the factory?"

"It would have taken a long time to crack the recipe, let alone synthesise an additive that would generate effects like this, Captain. The White Fang were able to manufacture and process Fang within a matter of days. That speaks of prior preparation – and this is the only place they could have acquired that."

"Makes sense," Yang nodded. "This doesn't seem like an action kind of job, though. I'm sure the police could handle this."

"It would take weeks to get a warrant, maybe even months. Even the act of doing so would give the White Fang time to hide their tracks. My employers were impressed with your… direct approach."

 _Our breaking the rules, more like,_ Yang thought. So, they wanted the VSPR to handle it because they could strike without warning and weren't afraid to take a few risks. And it was a risk. Whatever group this guy worked for, they were offloading all of the risk onto her. If this was a bust, she and the VSPR would be dragged through the mud. If it worked out, the VSPR smelled of roses, but this group also benefitted.

Win-win, at least from their point of view. Not so much from hers.

Still, they didn't have anything else to go on, and Fang was still wracking the city. With no other leads on offer, it wasn't like she had much of a choice. This was too good to pass up – as Vincent likely knew.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Really, I mean."

"I'm no one, and that's no metaphor." He laughed awkwardly. "I'm more of a clerk here, just passing on something important to you. As for who gives me orders? Well, they must know you if they could recommend you by name, but you'd have more idea than me. I'll be sure to pass on what I learned about you." He smiled lopsidedly. "Maybe they'll want to meet you in person. I was warned that you could be impetuous."

"And yet you didn't listen."

"I didn't think they meant _this_ impetuous!" he cried, holding up his arm.

"Yeah well, that's what you get for being all mysterious and stuff." She rolled her eyes and clicked the cuffs open with her finger. "Next time, just leave me a note or something. Now get out of here, or Mark will get a new roommate."

"My name isn't-"

"No one cares," both Yang and Vincent said at the same time. The man chuckled and backed away. "I'll get out of your hair, Captain. You'll find the means to contact us on that device. Should you find it in yourself to report to us as well as your superiors on what you find, we would appreciate it. We will find out in time, of course, but the faster we can put our resources into deciphering what the White Fang are up to, the faster we can feed more information to you."

"Only to us?"

"To the Council as well," Vincent said, "but they can be slow to act and are often bound by law and… politics. Sometimes reputation and lien get in the way of the correct decisions being made."

The message was clear. Scratch their backs and they would scratch hers. It was a dangerous proposition, but if it got her closer to returning to Beacon? Well, she was all for it. "Keep an eye on the news," she said. "I have a feeling a certain research centre might run into some problems."

"I'll look forward to it, Captain. I'm sure this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship."

/-/

"What do you think?" Yang asked, indicating the screen. Behind her, Roman stood – with the rest of the VSPR close by, all clamouring to look over her shoulder and see what was on the screen. It was a lot, sadly, and most of it jargon she only barely understood.

"It looks legitimate," Junior said. "He's right that the White Fang can't have had control of the factory for too long. People would have noticed the hostages if that were the case."

"Probably takes time to figure a way to turn painkillers into a zombie drug, too," Mercury added. "It's probably a little convenient to imagine they just _stumbled_ on it. Cinder would never have moved unless she had every angle covered."

"Cinder is dead," Yang said. "I saw the body."

"True, but Adam isn't – and he's no idiot." Mercury leaned forward to inspect the screen. "It's definitely a risk, but everything looks about right. This is the kind of lead we might have come up with in time on our own."

"Kid's got a point," Roman added, leaning his hands on her shoulder, and completely ignoring her indignant look when he did so. "It all checks out. To be honest, we had less intelligence on the factory and we still took the risk."

"That was desperation. We only had one day."

"Is this any different? If the Council gets their asses into gear and moves on this before we do, we'll lose our edge."

"But if we go in guns blazing and we're wrong…?" She trailed off. It didn't need to be said. They'd be ruined if these people were actually innocent. Yes, the evidence was stacked against them, but Vale couldn't raid a place based on just that. Laws existed to protect people. Companies, too. "If only we had some way of making sure. I'm not totally willing to trust a guy who breaks into our HQ and doesn't even tell us who he works for."

"I doubt any of us could sneak in," Melanie said. "Places like that have to protect their secrets, otherwise terrorists like the White Fang get them and make killer drugs. They'll have heavy security… cameras, checkpoints, that kind of stuff. You'd need someone who already works for them."

Yang slammed her fist down on the table, cursing out loud.

Roman, however, simply chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked, glaring up at him.

"Oh, I was just thinking that maybe I _can_ help, after all."

Yang's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"I know someone who would be able to slip in and get us the information we need. They could even open the doors and get us in if the fighting starts." He tapped the screen. "No risk. No danger. We can find out whether these guys are legit, _and_ whether we can trust your new friend, all in one fell swoop."

It sounded too good to be true.

Considering this was Roman Torchwick, it probably _was_ too good to be true.

"What's the catch?"

"It'll require a little more… _forgiveness_ on your part. They're not exactly welcomed in polite company, and they may have had a bit of a bad run-in with the law." Roman smiled crookedly. "You know how it is. But if you could maybe wave all of that away, she might be willing to help. In fact, I'm sure she'd _leap_ at the chance."

Roman's smarm was unbearable, and Yang knew why. She had a feeling she knew who it was Roman meant, and she did _not_ like the idea.

Not one bit.

* * *

 **Uh-oh, and who could this mysterious criminal be? Well, I'm sure no one is surprised – but I've had more than enough people asking or begging for them. As for Vincent, aside from his appearance here, he shouldn't be over much of a recurring character, so don't worry. Some OC's are needed to fill the occasional position, but they will remain side-characters.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**You know, despite it not being as mainstream as some of my other stories, I do actually enjoy writing Captain Dragon. It's refreshing to have different characters and relationships to work with. For the person who occasionally writes or reads, it may not seem hard working the same character over and over, but when you write as much as I do, it can really drag on. Having a break like this and just writing about Yang for a chance – even if she isn't as popular – is just a breath of fresh air.**

 **It's good for the crooks too, since even with them it's not me re-hashing the same relationships I've written time and time before.**

* * *

 **Badge:** EatboxTV

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

"So, I think the two of you have met before so introductions aren't exactly necessary. Isn't it great that we can save time like this?" Roman laughed heartily, both his hands on the shoulders of a diminutive girl that could have been mistaken for his daughter if her vicious smile and cruel eyes didn't hint at something far darker. "Say hi, Neo."

The girl waved at Yang.

She glared back.

Forgiveness had never really been her forte, even when she had two arms and when dealing with her closest friends. She was the kind of girl who was used to working out her frustrations with her fists, and dealing with offence by having a fight and then forgetting about it. Someone cut some strands of her precious hair? Beat them around a little until they regretted it and apologised, and then forget about it. Mom abandons you as a baby? Get angry, want to punch her face in, then forget about her.

Always forget, never forgive. Maybe she was vengeful, but she preferred to think of it as being socially awkward in her own way. Forgiveness, truly forgiving someone, was really, really hard. By contrast, signing the papers that legally forgave Neo all her crimes was almost comically easy. Just a swish and a flick of a pen, and just like that all her illegalities didn't matter anymore.

But that didn't mean Yang had to forgive her.

"Can she be trusted?" she asked Roman.

"Of course."

"I didn't ask if _you_ can trust her, but can she be trusted to work here." Yang tapped her desk for emphasis. "She'll need to listen to what I say, answer to responsibility, and not commit any crimes. If she does, it'll be more than just her head that rolls. You, me, Junior and everyone else here suffers. So, I'll ask you again. Can she be trusted?"

"Neo is loyal to me, and I'm loyal to you. She won't turn on us."

"You're loyal to the idea of getting away from Cinder's crimes." Yang scoffed. "The last person you're loyal to is me."

"So I am," Roman chuckled. "Even so, you can trust me to stick to that and Neo to stick to me. She isn't going to stab you in the back if that's what you're asking."

It was and wasn't at the same time, and Yang sighed as she glared at the girl, who grinned happily and waved back with not a hint of fear in her eyes. All the others she could understand to some degree, and while she didn't trust them, she trusted that they'd take the only available route and stay loyal to the VSPR and – since she had run it better than the previous Captains – her, as well. Neo, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any fear of being arrested, and could probably slip away thanks to her Semblance at any time. Theoretically, the only thing that was keeping her remotely interested was Roman. If something happened to him, or he decided to try and break off in his own direction, it was fairly obvious she'd be going with him.

But what else could she do? Neo was a danger whether she was a part of the VSPR or not, and she was fairly sure Roman had been in touch with her before, and would remain in touch regardless of her decision. Might as well have her around so she could keep an eye on her.

"Fine. It's done." She signed the final line and sheathed the document into one of her folders, to be scanned and copied into the Vale database later. "Neo is now a proud member of the VSPR." She rolled her eyes at the word `proud`, since the girl was currently yawning into one hand. "May she serve the Kingdom in anything less than a psychopathic manner."

Roman applauded politely. "Such a speech. I am, of course, moved." He stepped forward and drew out the seat in front of Yang's desk, sitting down on it and pulling one out for Neo as well. She didn't sit, but instead started to investigate the room, staring curiously into cupboards and cabinets without even asking for permission.

Yang sighed and ignored her, focusing on Roman instead. "So, I've bent the rules to get your little friend, accomplice, girlfriend-"

"Accomplice," Roman said, smiling. "A man like me does not tie himself down to any one woman, though I might be willing to make an exception for someone of exceptional rank and beauty…"

"I'll be sure to tell Ozpin you're interested," she said, earning a quick bark of laughter from him. If the idiot thought he was going to get her to blush, he had another thing coming. Also, she'd have to be blind, desperate and very, _very_ thirsty to even consider so much as holding his hand. "I've got your accomplice in, Roman. It's time for the two of you to live up to your end of the bargain."

"Blue Sky Research," Roman nodded, listing off the name of the company they wanted to investigate. "It won't be a problem, believe me. Neo can get in without problem and then contact us when she finds something. She'll get you the info you want, right, Neo?"

The girl started at hearing her name, but pulled her head out of Yang's drinks cabinet – or rather the previous owner's. She held a bottle of beer in hand that obviously didn't belong to her, but smiled and nodded nonetheless.

Yang held a hand out palm up.

Neo stared at it.

Yang coughed meaningfully and extended it a little further.

Neo smiled, nodded, and shook it.

"Give me the bottle you just stole!" she snapped, patience gone. When Neo stared at her, and then looked and pointed to the bottle, Yang growled. "Yes, that one! If you want some booze, buy it yourself."

Neo pouted and looked down to the bottle, and then back up to Yang's hand. How she managed to look like a poor, starved, orphan, Yang had no idea – probably illusions. She wasn't affected though, and instead raised a dangerous eyebrow.

"Give it."

Neo pointed at it again.

"YES! Give me the bottle!"

Finally, the girl nodded. She smiled, stepped forward, and then quickly used the edge of Yang's desk to pop the lid off the bottle. In three loud and quick swallows the contents were gone, and Neo wiped her mouth clean before proudly placing the empty bottle in Yang's outstretched hand. She seemed inordinately pleased with herself at having found a working compromise.

Yang flung the bottle at her head, but only because she knew the girl would dodge it. "Roman, clean that up," she instructed.

The thief, who had been watching with clear amusement up until that point, suddenly looked indignant. "What? But you threw it!"

"Yeah, and it's your fault. Clean it. Captain's orders." Yang stepped out from behind the desk and grabbed Neo by the shoulder. "I need to get her a uniform and we wouldn't want a man like you intruding on that now, would we?"

Neo nodded, and then smiled sweetly at Roman as they passed by. Roman was left behind to grumble and complain as he looked for a dustpan and brush. Once the door was shut, Yang dragged her newest recruit into a nearby office – one used for interviewing victims – and closed the door behind them.

"Look, Neo… I think we need to set some ground rules."

The girl smiled and linked her hands behind her back. It was an innocent and indulgent pose, but one that stank of hypocrisy. She didn't have the time for it.

"You and me," Yang said, pointing to the two of them. "We're not friends. We're not friends, we're certainly not pals, and I sure as hell know neither of us trusts the other. You tried to kill me before – would have if not for someone intervening – and I imagine you'd have been happy to do the same again if the situation arose."

Neo, to what was either her credit or her cruelty, nodded.

"We don't _have_ to like one another, though. I need the VSPR to work, and so does Roman if he wants to stay out of his cell. He says you're loyal to him. Is that true?"

She made a so-so motion with one hand.

Yeah, that was what Yang had thought. Maybe Roman knew and maybe he didn't, but Neo had never come across as the kind of person who would work by normal standards. She was an alien in everything but appearance, and even that was strange enough to count. Why make the assumption that her thought process was any less alien?

"Maybe not a loyal minion," Yang corrected, "but whatever the two of you are, am I right in saying you don't want him back in prison?"

Neo's smile fell, and this time she nodded honestly.

"And you'll work with me if it helps keep him out?"

Another nod.

"This means you'll have to keep your viciousness to an all-time low," Yang warned. When the girl looked positively aggrieved, she relented. "At least to innocent people. You can't kill, but if you're roughing a terrorist up when you're arresting them, then I won't complain."

Neo's eyes widened and she clapped her hands together.

"I can't tell if that's a thank you or you hopefully asking if I'm telling the truth," Yang said, sighing. "Whatever. Yeah, you can fight people all you want, but only other criminals. No innocents and no civilians though, or the Council will bust us down and Roman will be thrown back into prison. I know you'd try to break him out," she added, not at all blind to the possibility, "but then they'd just change `capture` to kill. I think he'd like to avoid that, and I'm sure you would, too."

To her relief, Neo agreed. It wasn't trust, not yet, and she doubted it ever would be, but it was an understanding reached and that was enough for now. With a nod of her own, Yang led the girl back into the main foyer, where Roman was already dusting the broken shards of glass into a dustbin. He looked up as they approached.

"I thought you were getting her an outfit?"

"I realised we don't have any uniforms in ages ten to twelve." She ignored Neo's indignant glare and continued. "Okay people, suit up and be ready outside in ten minutes. We're hitting Blue Sky before they figure out what's going on. Junior, you're driving. Roman, I want you in a patrol car. Neo…" She caught the girl's arm when she moved past. "You're with me."

The girl looked confused but accepted with a quick nod, and soon the other members of the VSPR were rushing to and fro. Their last raid had ended in disaster but overall success. _Here's hoping this one is a little less of the former…_

/-/

Blue Sky Research was actually a rather beautiful facility nestled in a little walled valley with tall trees planted all around it. The building itself was white-walled and sleek with curved architecture that spoke of too much money and an architect with more artistic vision than common sense. Despite that, and the friendly image it gave off, it was still a secretive and guarded location, and a guard in a uniform approached their black squad car as it pulled up into the car park and turned off. Roman and Yang climbed out and the guard waited patiently for them to approach.

"Good evening, officers," he said, nodding. He wasn't a faunus like the ones at the Middivale plant, and although there was a small gun holstered at his hip, he made no move to reach for it. "How can I help you today?"

"We're here on business," Yang said. "We'd like to speak to someone from your research and development team if possible."

"From R&D?" The man blinked and looked to Roman, who he obviously recognised. "Um, can I ask what it's in regards to? The higher-ups will want to know. Should I warn them they're being investigated by the police?"

She shook her head. "No need for that. We're not here to bust anyone, or even to make accusations. You've heard about the Fang epidemic, I take it?"

"Who hasn't? That's some dark stuff going on. Is there a reason you want to speak to _us_ about it, though?"

He was cagey. That was suspicious, but not enough that they could act on it. It was his job to ask questions, and their job to have a warrant if it came to it. She had a feeling he wouldn't open fire if they tried to approach either, which meant there'd be no crime in progress to respond to. Still, they had their plan.

"We're only coming here because you're a research facility and I'm told you're the best when it comes to medicines. We're hoping to synthesise a cure, and are hoping to speak to someone from R&D to find out whether that would be possible and what resources you might need. The Council is willing to pay, of course," she added. "But we can't speak out here. Council business is private for a reason."

"I understand. Why don't you come inside and I'll see if someone can't talk to you."

She nodded. "Lead on."

The man led them towards the main building while whispering something into his radio. She didn't catch most of it, but the tone of his voice suggested it wasn't orders to attack, and honestly it would have been convenient if it was. Instead, they reached a metal and glass door with a keypad next to it. He typed in four digits, shielding his fingers from their eyes.

"That's a lot of security for a place like this," Roman pointed out as the door opened, revealing a narrow corridor with three cameras aligned across it.

"Places like this always are," the security guard said. "Research is a difficult thing to work with. It costs millions but can fit into a single pen drive, so it doesn't take much for someone to steal millions of lien and run away with it. Mostly it's our clients wanting the assurance their investment isn't going to fall into the hands of the competition, but some of our data can be potentially dangerous too."

"Dangerous?" Yang asked.

"Not weapons, we're not that kind of company. We do have some pharmaceutical and life science clients though, and medicine in the wrong hands can go bad – as the Fang virus shows."

He held the next door open for them and they filed inside. The room was a foyer or reception area of sorts, though there were several doors leading off from it, most unlocked but some – mainly the toilets – not. There was a water cooler off to one side, a low table with some couches beside it, and a stack of magazines atop them.

"Nice place," Roman said. "Shame you can't see it from the outside for all the security doors."

"This is where prospective customers come to see us, so the extended security is as much to show off for them as practicality. It assures them they can trust us before we even start to talk about costs and offers." The security guard backed up towards a door marked with an employee-only sign. "I'll go and speak to the head of R&D and see if she's free to come and chat with you. I'm sure she will be, but just wait here for a moment." He inputted the code into the door and pulled it open, but before he could step through, Yang threw out her hand.

"Wait!"

The man froze. With one arm extended, holding the door ajar, he turned towards her with a surprised expression. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Your name," she said, smiling. "I didn't catch it."

"Oh…" He laughed and rubbed his head, and failed to notice the way the sleeve of his arm holding the door open ruffled – almost like a gust of air had passed beneath. It was not, however, and Yang breathed a sigh of relief as the ripple disappeared. "The name's Jake," the guard said. "Jake Goldman. Nice to meet you."

"Thanks, Jake," Yang said, sitting. "You've been a real help."

He was gone a second later, and the door clicked shut behind him.

"She's in," Roman whispered.

Yang nodded, keeping her voice low. There were cameras for sure, but there might also be voice recorders. "Did she get the codes?"

"I angled myself so he'd have to shield them from the left. She'll have been on the right. Believe me, it's a trick we've pulled before so it's second nature by now." He smirked and drew forth a cigar, lighting it and taking a quick puff. "We're in business, boss."

"Good." Yang nodded, and then thumbed the mic on her collar. "Junior, she's in. Where are you?"

" _Parked in the forest nearby,"_ Junior's voice came back, muffled by the crackle of static. _"We're ready to move on your order. Miltia and Melanie are in position by a back entrance, but both are concealed."_

"And Mercury?"

" _On the roof as instructed."_

"Nice. Hold position."

The mic crackled but there was no response.

"You're getting used to this," Roman said, watching with a smirk. "Commanding a team, organising their positions, even choosing who to put on rota at what times to handle the Fang outbreaks. I'll admit, I'm surprised."

She shot him a scowl. "You expected me to fail?"

"In a word, yes."

Yang growled but didn't give him the benefit of a response, partly because that would only encourage him but also because he was pretty much right. If she were being honest then she could admit to having surprised herself as well, not only at how easily she'd fit into the VSPR but also how well things were going at the moment.

Of course, such thoughts didn't come without consequence – as the sudden blaring of an alarm was quick to let her know.

 **" _Intruder in the facility,"_** it echoed. **_"All security personnel to sub-basement two. This is not a drill."_**

Yang's eyes flickered to Roman's, who met her half-way, the cigar dangling from his lip. Hers demanded answers, while his held none. "Maybe she was caught?" he offered weakly, wincing at the impending explosion. "I said she was good, but they might have thermal cameras or something. No one's perfect, right?"

"You idiot," she snarled, leaping up. Damn him and damn Neo, as well. She thumbed her lapel. "The mission is a bust. We're going in!"

" _You want us to break in?"_ Junior asked. _"Won't that put us at odds with the Council?"_

"We'll already be screwed if they've caught Neo," she replied. She was a known criminal who worked with Torchwick, so it wouldn't be a huge leap of logic to figure out what she was doing in such a place at the same time they were. "Our only hope is to trust Vincent's Intel and hope for the best. Get in and hit the research labs, but don't attack anyone who doesn't fight back!"

" _Got it."_ The call ended, and Yang rushed to the door, placing a foot against it as she tried to tear it open one-handed. "Roman, come on," she hissed. "Give me a hand with the door."

The thief jogged up and did so – though not in the way she expected. He leaned over and pressed four keys on the pad next to it, and it opened with a click.

"I thought you said you didn't see the code," Yang said.

"I didn't." He held out his scroll. "Here."

There was a message on it, the sender identified as Neo – and the content was what shocked her. _"Not me. Still undiscovered. Code 1653."_

Yang's mouth fell open. "She's not the one that started the alarm?"

"Doesn't look like it," he said, taking his scroll back and stashing it. "See, I told you she was no amateur."

"But then who was discovered?"

"No idea."

A muffled explosion shook the building before she could continue, and plaster rained down from the ceiling as the walls vibrated. Yang winced, and then winced again when the siren became a higher pitch and the automated voice warned of a breach in the perimeter walls.

"What was that?" Roman asked.

"Junior and the others," she groaned, suddenly feeling sick. Without the codes to get in, they'd probably used explosives – and since they'd already thought themselves rumbled because of Neo, they hadn't thought to be subtle about it. Neither had she, and now that the cameras here had just seen them enter a restricted hallway…

"I'm guessing the peaceful approach is out of the question now," Roman sighed.

"Looks like it."

"It always happens to us. Why does it always happen to us?"

She didn't know, even if she felt the same way. She shook her head and took the first step into the corridor, slipping Ember Celica onto her lone fist. Their entire plan had been ruined and now they were working against the clock – all because some unknown ass-hat had gotten himself caught before Neo could find what they were looking for. If this was Vincent's doing, the he could look forward to a longer stay in the cells.

That was if the VSPR would stay in business after this. If Blue Sky actually weren't involved, or were but managed to hide the evidence, then they were screwed.

"They seem desperate to protect whatever is kept on sub-basement level two," she said, nodding towards the speaker that continued to drone on. "I've got a feeling we'll want to see what it is. Since security is en route to catch the rest of the force breaking in the side, we're the only ones on point."

Roman caught her message and sighed dramatically.

Yeah, that was pretty much how she felt.

/-/

"Halt!" one of the security guards cried, holding up a gun in one hand and his other empty. "You're not allowed in this area. Why are the police attacking us, anyway!?"

Miltia ducked under the man's hand and caught his knee from behind, dropping him down on one before she brought her elbow into the back of his neck, knocking him out. He slumped forward and would have cracked his face against the metal floor if it weren't for Melanie catching him with one leg.

She lowered him down as gently as she could and stepped over his body. "Shouldn't we be, you know, doing that whole `due process` thing?"

"You mean reading them their rights?" Miltia asked.

"Not that. Just more of us not attacking them when they're clearly confused and just seeking answers." She jerked a thumb towards the unfortunate guy behind them. Or maybe that was fortunate, since he was now out of the fight and didn't need to deal with them. While she didn't so much feel guilt or sympathy for them, the idea that this might get them in trouble lingered in the back of her mind. They were trying to avoid prison, after all. Going on a rampage might not help in that regard, though at least her sister had the sense to knock them out and not use her claws.

"What would we tell them?" Miltia asked sarcastically. "Oh, sorry, but we're breaking in on a hunch you might have been naughty people lately. If we're wrong, we're _really_ sorry, but we're going to assume we're not and smash your face in now. That cool with you guys? Kay, thanks."

Melanie rolled her eyes but kind of saw the point. It wasn't like they actually had any other reason than that and she doubted the excuse of `some mysterious man told us you were being naughty` would hold. "Meh, maybe you're right. What are we actually supposed to _do_ , though? We're in. Now what?"

"I dunno," Miltia admitted. "The bitch didn't give us any better orders."

"She's our boss, you know."

"I know. Still a bitch, though. Bitch boss. Boss bitch. Pick your poison."

Melanie shrugged, not particularly enamoured with either. "Looks like we're being thrown in as a petty distraction. Should we feel offended by that?"

"I dunno. What's the job description of a distraction?"

"Cause havoc, be loud, go wild – don't get caught." Melanie listed off the requirements and then paused. "Huh, you know what; maybe she isn't so much of a bitch after all." She grinned happily. "Do you have any more of that sticky explosive stuff?"

Miltia raised an eyebrow, already holding some in her hand. She tossed it in the air and caught it lazily, a wide grin on her face. "Do you even need to ask?"

"Want to see how big an explosion we can make?"

"I'll repeat," the twin in red said, eyebrow still raised. "Do you even need to ask?"

/-/

"Weren't we supposed to be sneaking in?" Mercury asked, crouched down by a door as Junior pressed a button on an ignition switch. There was a loud and muffled thump as it broke inwards, and the two pushed through the dust and fragments of metal-reinforced wood that remained. "I thought the whole point of us taking on the psycho bitch was that she'd make it so we didn't have to go loud."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Junior grunted.

"See, my old partner used to ask me that too. The answer is no, by the way."

"I can tell." Junior sighed and brought up his weapon to fire on a man who appeared from a doorway, changing his mind at the last second when he saw a white lab coat and not a military vest. He swung it instead, catching the unfortunate man in the stomach and launching him back through the door he'd just left. "Sorry," he added, not particularly sorry but feeling _some_ apology was needed for basically smacking a normal guy like that.

"W-What is the meaning of this…?" the researcher asked, gasped even, his hand still clutching his stomach. He struggled to stand and Junior sighed when he tried to reach for a phone. He didn't make a move to stop him however, but the man's rapidly paling face spoke of the lack of a connecting signal.

"Seriously," Mercury sighed. "Do you not even _watch_ movies? Do you think intruders would leave the phone lines operating when we break in? Dude, watch a Spruce Willis movie, I beg you. First thing we cut."

"B-But the emergency line-"

"Second thing," Mercury added, arms crossed. "Though I'll give you bonus points for that not being in the movies."

"S-Scroll signal?"

"Set up a jammer. It's pretty cool what kind of tech law enforcement have access to. No calls are going out, though you can still pass them around within the perimeter, hence why you guys didn't notice anything when it went up."

"Stop showing off," Junior said, pushing the smug twat aside. "We're here to interrogate him, not impress him with our preparation. Flirt in your own time."

"Hey, I was just setting the scene! The guy's got to know no one's coming to help him and no one can hear him scream. You know, stuff like that."

The man did apparently, since he shivered in obvious fear. Even if that wasn't exactly what he'd been aiming for, there was no denying it would keep him compliant. Even so, Junior sighed and looked to the young man that was fast becoming his regular partner on the force. Gods, if only there was a way to hand him back in and request someone else. He'd rather have the Captain herself, though that would mean leaving Roman and Mercury together unsupervised and no one wanted that.

"Need I remind you he may still be innocent of any crimes?"

Mercury sighed. "Way to be a party pooper…"

Junior ignored him and grabbed the man by the collar when he tried to run past, somehow thinking them distracted. How dumb did he think they were? With a sigh, he tossed him back against a wall, and then pinned him there by his chest. "Okay…" A cursory glance down revealed a nametag. "Okay, Brad. Seriously, Brad? Whatever. We're here to figure out what happened to the Middivale Pharmaceutical deal and how the White Fang could have had access to the recipe. Talk."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

He was not impressed. "You're actually trying that?"

"I know my rights!"

"I'm glad one of us does." Junior raised an eyebrow when the man looked horrified. "What, you think I know them? Or that _he_ cares? Look at him…" He nodded to Mercury, who at that very moment had chosen to inspect a booger he'd plucked from his nose. "Look, Brad. Let's be honest… you know that we're not allowed to do this, but we're here doing it anyway. What does that tell you?"

"T-That you're breaking the law…"

"That's right," he said, nodding like a teacher praising a particularly clever pupil. "And if we're doing that and we don't care, then what do you think we'll do to you for information?"

"I-I don't know…" Brad said miserably.

"Also right," Junior praised. "You don't. And trust me, you probably want to keep it that way. See, I'm the reasonable one of this little duo. You might consider me the good cop."

The man looked ill. "You're the good cop? Then what the hell is _he_!?"

"I'm the guy that killed his own father," Mercury replied. "Though to be fair, he was an abusive dick and also an assassin himself, so not exactly a stand-up guy."

"You then shacked up with a violent woman who wanted to control the Grimm to destroy all of Vale," Junior pointed out.

Mercury shrugged. "Eh, true."

"What? Why?" Brad the scientist asked.

"Well, you know how it is. You kill your dad, burn down your house, randomly meet two girls outside who say they want you to help them destroy the world and how they were originally there for your dad, and you just sort of go with it."

"No, I don't know. That makes absolutely no sense. How does one go from killing their father to just randomly accepting an offer from two people you have no reason to know or trust?" Brad was hysterical now, his eyes wide.

Mercury, by contrast, just shrugged and made a vague noise. "Eh, shits and giggles mainly. I dunno."

"See what I mean?" Junior asked, bringing the scientist back against the wall. "So, you can either answer my questions, or I can hand you over to the nutcase over there to deal with. Easy choice, right?"

Brad seemed to think so, nodding quickly.

"Good. See, we're making progress." Junior carried the man over to his desk and pushed him down into the seat, just in case he'd need to use his computer for anything. "Now, I know you and your lot worked on the Middivale drugs that the White Fang have contaminated. You've heard the news, right?"

"I've heard what happened, yes, but I can assure you that was not our doing! We are a respectable company. I… I did not join Blue Sky to help terrorists hurt people!"

He didn't detect any lie, but that was almost expected. The man was so nervous he was almost certainly not the head researcher or anyone involved heavily in the company. He was probably more of a regular rank and file scientist, or maybe an intern. Still, that wasn't to say the company wasn't doing things he had no idea about.

"Who would have had access to the recipe?" he asked. "Do you?"

"I don't have access but I know it by heart. I was one of the researches who helped to synthesise the latest strain."

"How many people would know it that well?"

"N-No one else, I'd think."

"How many could have downloaded or accessed it?"

Brad hesitated. "A few," he admitted. "The head of the R&D Department for one, and also the CEO and Operational Director, along with a few other Director or Manager level staff – only those involved with the MVP deals, though. Blue Sky has a number of customers and we work in teams. Other teams can't access our work regardless of their position; it's for security purposes and to limit numbers if something does go wrong. Internal investigations can find the culprit faster if there are less suspects."

"So, it would have been someone on your team, someone higher-up who could have browsed the details at will." That narrowed the list down, though there was still no telling who could be responsible. "What does the boss of this company do?"

"Nothing," Brad said. "He runs it, but he practically retired to live the easy life years back. I've not seen him for months. The one that runs this place is the MD, a woman called Annabelle Butters. She's the one who makes all the decisions."

"She's our next stop," he said to his companion.

Mercury snorted and nodded to the prisoner. "What about him?"

"What about him?" Junior asked, cuffing the man's wrist to his desk and pushing his computer off the table. It smashed onto the floor and fell to pieces, Brad wincing the whole time. "He can't get out of here and now he can't alert anyone else. Leave him here. He's not going to make any noise, right pal?"

"I-I'll be good, yes. A-Am I under arrest?"

"Depends. You do anything?"

"No!"

"Then consider this protective custody for now. You'll be safer here than walking around the corridors with all this nonsense going on. Someone will come and get you out later and you'll be right as rain. That's _if_ you're innocent, of course." The researcher nodded, and from the clear relief on his face Junior figured he probably was innocent of the crimes against him.

"If anyone asks though, make sure to give us a good review, though," Mercury suddenly interrupted.

Brad blinked owlishly. "What?"

"If the other polices forces ask, I mean. Make sure to tell them how awesome and kind we were, how gently we questioned you and how we looked out for your health." Mercury's smile dripped with insincerity.

"Mercury…" Junior groaned with one hand against his face.

"What? I'm just saying it might work out." He backed away, though his eyes and his frightening smile remained on the man cuffed to his desk. "Remember, good reviews. Give us five stars or I'll come back and break your kneecaps."

"Mercury!"

" _Five stars,"_ Mercury mouthed before he was dragged out of the room and tossed into the corridor.

"Gods... Why do I get stuck with you every time?"

"Because the captain figures she's the only one with the balls to stop Roman if he bails on us, and the twins are too crazy to split onto different teams."

"Rhetorical question, asshole. Come on." He nodded down the corridor, shouldering his weapon. "We've got a managerial team to track down and interrogate." An explosion echoed above. "Preferably before the twins bring down the entire building on our heads."

/-/

"Those girls are doing a good job of keeping everyone busy," Roman said as she two of them leaned against the walls of a service elevator slowly descending into the depths of the facility. They hadn't been challenged thus far, and that was the only reason they'd made such progress.

"It won't last," she warned. "We went past at least a hundred cameras on the way here. Even if the people in the control room are distracted, they're bound to have noticed us and prepared a welcome party."

"You so sure about that?" Roman asked, branding his scroll tauntingly.

Yang sighed and snatched it, only to realise it was a connected video call, though without any sound. Neo's eyes appeared on-screen and the girl smiled happily and waved when she saw who it was. Behind and around her, Yang could make out numerous screens and terminals, and three unconscious figures slumped in chairs. She sighed and tossed the scroll back.

"You had her attack the security rooms?"

He shrugged. "Seemed obvious."

"Aren't you supposed to wait for my orders?"

"What would they have been?"

Attack the security rooms, annoyingly enough. She couldn't really complain when he'd pre-empted her instructions and saved her the time. She growled and said nothing instead, crossing her lone arm under her breasts and watching the number display on the elevator wall with a keen eye. In the distance the alarm from before continued to sound - now a little louder, showing that it was coming from the basement itself.

 _If Neo's in the security room and shut it down, then that means no one knows we're here._ Apart from the twins causing a ruckus up above, obviously. _That means someone else is down here and setting off the alarm. Who, though? If the White Fang already have this place, or access to it, then who could be responsible?_

"Keep your wits about you," Roman said, slipping his cane out of his jacket. "We're deep in the belly of the beast now. If these guys are on the wrong side of the law, then this is where they'll be keeping their darkest secrets."

"And they'll be prepared to kill for them," Yang finished, earning a nod in response.

No one would hear them cry out for help down here. It was a frightening thought and she took an almost ironic level of comfort from the fact she had Roman beside her. Ironic because he was probably the worst criminal alive in Vale at that moment, but crook or not he was on her side for now and he was no weakling. She wasn't either of course, but there was no telling how many enemies they might find, or if some wouldn't be huntsman level.

The elevator clicked into place and the doors opened with a near-silent hiss. Roman pushed out and looked right, Yang following him and turning left – but no one welcomed her, and from the lack of combat, no one was on his side either.

"I guess they're dealing with the break-in," he said. "This is the basement level two, right?"

"Seems like it," she said, nodding to the number two written on a nearby wall. The corridors looked like they were out of a hospital, albeit the doors were more glass and plastic reinforced with metal. It had the same heavily sanitised and hygienic feel, however, replete with white walls and floors, with silver grills at the edges, draining any spilled material away.

Several trollies of beakers and flasks littered the area, but of the people that had been forced to abandon them there was no sigh whatsoever. None of that was overly suspicious though, and she started to worry as they moved deeper in.

What if Vincent was wrong and this was a hoax? What if they'd broken in on the promise of nothing? She could try claiming they'd reacted to the siren and tried to _help_ Blue Sky, but doubted that would work. They were guilty now, which meant they'd better find some evidence or she'd be heading back to Patch in disgrace.

There had to be something. The Intel had been too good to be fake.

"I hear something up ahead," Roman whispered, bringing them to a halt. It took her a second to pin-point the noise, she being a little less-used to sneaking through private property listening for guards. Eventually, she caught it however, the muffled sounds of conversation and stomping feet. When Roman saw she'd heard it, he posed the ultimate question. "What do we do?"

Avoid or approach. Investigate or fall back. Yang bit her lip and searched for the right answer.

There was no going back.

"Sneak up and see if we can hear anything," she whispered. "If we know what the culprit was after, we might know what they're keeping here."

"And if they attack us?

"Take them down. Safely. We're in too deep to back out, so we'll turn this place upside down if we have to. Just make sure no one is badly hurt or it won't matter if we find out the truth or not."

He nodded. The two of them crept down the hall with Roman taking the lead due to his experience in such things. Even being bigger and heavier than her, his footfalls were still quieter and it was her boots clicking against the floor that had them wincing with every step. Luckily the guards ahead – or whoever it was – seemed far too busy with their own problems to pay attention.

By the time the voices had become loud enough to hear clearly, they'd come to a series of glass windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Yang moved to look through but Roman waved her back and shook his head. If someone was looking out, they'd surely see her. He motioned to himself instead, and then pointed to her and tapped his ear.

Listen in, she supposed. Yang nodded and pressed her ear to the back wall while Roman cautiously peeked his head around the corner.

"Do you have any idea what this means, you morons?" a female voice hissed. "Our customers demand the utmost in confidentiality and you allow _this_ to happen? We'll be stricken from the records. It's bad enough what happened with Middivale without more scandal being thrown at us. The Board of Directors are already snapping at my heels as it is."

"We're sorry, ma'am," a man replied. "We reworked and changed our measures after the last break in, but she got through. We have no idea how."

"You've no idea? Well how typical, people like you leaving the thinking to those in control. The reason she got in, you fool, is that you didn't do _enough_ to fix security after the last leak. If you had, then we wouldn't be in this sorry state in the first place."

"I-I apologise, ma'am. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't. If it does, I'll not only have your job, but I'll personally ensure you never work anywhere in Vale again."

The voice was harsh and full of bile, but not one she recognised. She leaned a little closer hoping to make out more, even if what she'd caught already was enough to have her heart racing. A first leak – a break-in… could that be how the White Fang got the recipe? If so, Blue Sky were required to report it but hadn't. As someone involved in dealing with Fang, she'd have been informed by Ozpin if they had. Blue Sky had broken the law.

And that cleared the VSPR of any wrongdoing. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"What of the intruder?" the man from before asked. "I couldn't find any identification, but she was hard to take down. What are we supposed to do with her?"

Her? They'd found the one that had snuck in?

From behind Yang, she heard Roman curse. "Oh, fuck my life it's _her_... How did I not see this coming?"

Yang glanced back. "Roman?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have a chance to before the prisoner cried out.

"You'll never get away with this!"

Yang's heart froze as she recognised the voice. How could she not when it was one she'd lived with for so long?

"Blake…?"

"We already have problems above and she's a faunus trying to break into a medical facility not a week after what happened to Middivale. We'll just put a mask on her and say it was the White Fang. No one will care to ask more. Kill her."

"I guess we're going loud," Roman sighed, looking in Yang's direction.

He needn't have asked, for her fist was already impacting the wall that separated her from her partner. Not to mention the woman who felt she could so casually kill her. Brick and plaster exploded inward, showering the room with dust and driving several people to the floor. Yang took them in instantly, six, seven, eight guards in white uniforms and a woman in a business suit and glasses, frantically covering her face as dust rained. There were at least twenty unconscious bodies about the room, signs of a hectic fight that had cost Blue Sky dearly. Of those that remained, one or two were hard bitten men scars and weapons that screamed huntsman-training.

And there, in the middle of them all, down on her knees and covered in bruises, Blake Belladonna, now staring wildly at the blonde-haired, red-eyed berserker who had walked through a solid wall to reach them.

"Yang," she gasped.

The blood that trickled from her split lip caught Yang's eyes instantly, and her hand clenched into a fist.

"W-What is the meaning of this!?" the woman in the suit demanded. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long, VSPR."

She cocked her fist, and if the cartridge that popped from it wasn't enough to send a message, the remains of the wall she'd annihilated crumbling down behind her certainly was.

"You're under arrest."

* * *

 **And there we are. A huge shock that** _ **definitely**_ **no one got in the reviews. Yep, I'm talking about the fact that it was actually** _ **Neo**_ **who I meant last chapter and not- okay, yeah, everyone got it. xD**

 **What can I say? She has no voice we've seen so far, yet more character than anyone else for it. I dread RT's eventual plans for her, since I imagine they're just going to off her in a silly manner and probably have her do something before to make sure we hate her so that no one complains.**

 **And Blake, oh Blake… how did we forget what you do when the White Fang are involved? How could we forget what you would go and bloody do if you knew the White Fang were poisoning people on the streets? Little miss no respect for authority strikes again. One or two people actually guessed it (in reviews, anyway), I know many more may have figured it out but remained silent.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm glad to see Blake both surprised and face-palmed so many people. It's one of those things which just made so much sense when I planned it. White Fang acting up? Blake getting involved on her own? Zero surprises there.**

* * *

 **Badge:** EatboxTV

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

Yang wasn't sure how she'd imagined it in her mind.

Obviously, she hadn't really expected the people with guns to lay down, put their hands over their heads and say `yes, ma'am`, but she also didn't expect them all to stare at her like _she_ was the one being unreasonable. They didn't even twitch a muscle to shoot in her direction, so her plan of opening fire in return and putting them out for the count was out of the question.

In fact, the only one who seemed capable of thought at all was Blake, and that was to try and struggle out of her captor's grip. It didn't go so well and the man holding her clamped down on her shoulder, pushing her body against the ground.

"Stop that!" Yang snapped.

The man looked to his boss.

"What are you waiting for?" the woman in the suit hissed. Yang's muscles tensed. "Let the stupid animal up, but keep hold of her."

Wait, they _weren't_ going to open fire? Yang's eyes traced over them all, but not a one looked prepared to do so, and some were downright nervous. Few were willing to meet her eyes, and those that did quickly looked elsewhere.

"Officer…" the woman said, turning to Yang with a wide – if strained – smile. "How can I help you, officer? We have a little bit of a situation going on here as you can see. Would you care to speak with me in my office? My name is Annabelle Butters, CEO of Blue Sky Research." Polite, functional and deferential – despite the whole `bursting through the wall` thing. Yang had no idea what to make of it.

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long," she replied. "Vale Special Police and Recon."

The introduction had some of the men shifting awkwardly, and it took Yang a few seconds to figure out why. When she did, her eyes widened. They weren't opening fire because they couldn't. These weren't White Fang, criminals or terrorists; they were paid security guards for a limited company operating in Vale. They were bound by the law, at least so far as what they couldn't get away with. Killing Blake was one thing, but they could claim she'd broken in and it was self-defence. The same couldn't be argued for killing police officers, and it wasn't just their boss who seemed to realise that.

The men who worked for her clearly weren't willing to go to jail for their pay check. There was no way she paid them enough for that.

That meant they weren't about to start a fight – but it also meant attacking them wasn't an option either. _Okay, this just got complicated._ _More complicated,_ she thought, looking at Blake in the middle of them. She was both surprised and unsurprised to see her there. On the one hand, what the hell was she doing? On the other, it was Blake and something related to the White Fang. Enough said.

"The VSPR, I see." The woman nodded her head, her platinum blonde locks falling about her shoulders. She was undeniably beautiful, but in an artificial, cosmetic-surgery assisted, way. "Well, Captain Xiao-Long, I'm sure we have some things to talk about. What can Blue Sky help you with today?"

"You can release her for one," Yang said, nodding to Blake.

"She broke into our facility." The `as did you` went unsaid, mostly because she no doubt knew Yang had an answer. "She is a criminal."

"Yang, don't listen to them!" Blake howled. "The Fang Virus comes from their drugs. It was taken by the White Fan-" She got no further because one of the men pushed her head down, shutting her mouth. Yang wanted to knock him out for that, but held back.

"If she's a criminal then I'll deal with her," she said. "That's kind of my job."

"She is White Fang."

"We both know you're lying to me there." Yang rolled her eyes and cocked her head to the side, watching as the woman held in her barely restrained fury. "What was it you said? Oh yeah, put a mask on her and kill her. Funny orders for a businesswoman like you. That's enough to make me think all kinds of things."

"You appear to have me at a disadvantage," Annabelle said. Her eyes flickered to her men.

"That's how I prefer it. I wouldn't, by the way." She didn't say what specifically, but they all knew. "Not unless you think you can take on my entire team. You can't. You can't even deal with me and Roman, but by all means, _try_."

It was a bit of a bluff for sure. Blake was already out for the count, and if she was down then it meant some of these guys were pretty strong – and since Blake wasn't _that_ much weaker than she'd been at her best, they could probably take her down. That wasn't the main issue, though. Whether she had one arm or not, Roman was still nearby, and the rest of her team knew where she was. If anything happened to her, all of Vale would know.

And Blue Sky was just a regular old company. There was no telling what the outcry would do to their image – or their bottom line.

"The girl still infiltrated our company," Annabelle said. "Whatever her reasons, she is a criminal for that. She attacked several of my men. You can see the bodies yourself!"

She could, and Blake had. That wasn't going to be easy to explain. _Damn it, Blake. Why do you always do this? Was this what we were like before?_ It was hard to say. She'd never been one to think of consequences unless she saw them, but now that she was on the other side of the fence she could imagine just how frustrating their team running rampant must have been. _Someone had to deal with all those cars knocked aside on that freeway, not to mention us starting a fight with Roman's Paladin on it._ And in this case, the one who would have to deal with Blake's actions was her. _Damn it, Blake. Why do you always make things so difficult?_

"Maybe we can come to a deal," Yang said, holstering her handgun. Annabelle relaxed though none of the men did – more than experienced enough to realise the bracelet on her wrist was just as much a weapon as any gun. If she attacked first, they could defend themselves. She gave them no reason to think she would.

"What do you suggest?" Annabelle asked, optimistically cautious.

"I'm here to investigate the Fang virus. I know full well they got it from you, both from evidence I have and what I just overheard." But not, importantly, from any report by Blue Sky. The crime wasn't said but both knew it was there. "You said there was a break-in."

Annabelle's hands clenched into fists but she didn't back down. "There was," she admitted. "But I will tell you now that we have _nothing_ to do with the White Fang. We are a legitimate company."

"Murder of innocent teenagers aside."

"She is _not_ innocent! A faunus breaking in after the White Fang did, and trying to get down to the same levels. What were we to think? We had to act – and then she attacked us!"

Blake hissed something under her breath but remained silent, or was maybe unable to speak properly. That might have been for the best since Yang knew her partner had little to no respect for authority or rules. It was always how the authorities were doing nothing, or how _they_ had to do something – _she_ had to do something. It was never "tell others" or "tell the headmaster". It was always the four of them running around playing vigilante, and if they'd ever said no, it would have been her on her own, just like the docks.

So, Blue Sky had their angle for sure, but they'd also crossed a dangerous line, and Yang glared at the woman in the suit before her. "That doesn't give you the right to execute her, nor does it give you the authority to make any decisions about her. We have things called trials here. Maybe you've heard of them. Give Blake to me."

"Blake, hm?" She shot Yang an intrigued look. "She called your name, as well. You know her?"

Yang frowned. "She was my teammate in Beacon."

"A friend, then."

Yang's smile turned brittle. It wasn't the best choice of words.

"Something like that..."

Annabelle Butters smiled, and Yang felt her stomach drop almost instantly. It was a smile that said all the cards had suddenly fallen in her favour, and she had a good feeling she knew how. This was going to suck. She could just tell.

"Well, I think we might be able to come to a deal after all."

Damn it, Blake…

/-/

The CEO's office was about as large and extravagant as could have been expected, with tiled floors leading to a large central desk flanked by marble columns. There was a whiskey cabinet off to one side but it looked like it had never been used. On the other, equally un-used, a large, dark bookcase filled with thick tomes. Annabelle Butters didn't sit, but stood in front of her desk instead. Yang stood a few feet away, while Blake and Roman waited by the entrance. She'd already radioed to the others, stopping the attack.

"You're here to investigate the Fang virus," Annabelle said. "I understand that. You are here without a warrant, however, and you broke into our facility, harming several of my employees."

"And I know full well you've concealed the fact you _were_ broken into," Yang said, laying her own cards on the table. "You lost the Middivale recipe and the White Fang used it to create Fang. Losing it isn't a crime, but concealing that information when the Council is trying to find how this happened? That is. Frankly, it's weird considering no one would have blamed you for being robbed in the first place. Not with all the security you have. Why hide it?"

"Isn't it obvious? We are a business and I am the CEO. My position here remains only so long as our shareholders have confidence in me. The Fang virus is already a scandal of national proportions. The last thing we needed was Blue Sky being dragged into it."

By the door, Blake took a threatening step forward. "You lied to save your own skin!?"

"Blake," Yang warned. She looked back to the businesswoman before her. "So, you felt the scandal more threatening than what might be happening out there?"

"The damage has been done. The White Fang twisted our recipe into something malignant and believe me when I saw we are working on a serum to counter-act this. The people are angry and looking for someone to blame. Right now, their fury is focused on the White Fang. If we revealed that they broke through our security, that anger would be re-directed at us."

"And at you, I take it."

"Indeed." The woman said, unapologetic. "The media would make a circus of it and our shares would plummet. We would lose customers by the dozen and I would almost certainly lose not only my job, but any chance of ever working in the industry again."

"People are being hurt in Vale!" Blake cried.

"And whether or not our company suffers won't change a thing," Annabelle snapped back. "What would you have me do? The fall-out from this would distract my researchers from synthesising a cure. Our name would be dragged through the mud, and for what, to be a scapegoat for what the White Fang did?" She scowled and stepped around her desk, collapsing into the seat on the other side and holding a hand to her forehead. "I'll admit my motives are self-serving, but the decision hurts no one. The virus is already out there. Truth or not, this won't help a single person and will in fact hurt more."

"It hurt my investigation. I need to know every little thing about this if we want to stop the White Fang. Your hiding that makes my job harder."

"Yes. I suppose it would." She sighed and waved one hand. "I shall co-operate in any way you ask. In exchange, I want your assurance this meeting will remain confidential."

"WHAT!?" Blake howled. "Yang, you can't do that! Don't listen to her! We need to stop the White Fang!"

The yelling didn't do much for her patience. Yang's anger mounted and she stared up at the ceiling and gritted her teeth together. Nope. It couldn't be done. "Roman…"

"Yes, boss?"

"Take her outside."

Her ex-partner was shocked. "What!?"

"You heard the Captain, Kitty-cat," Roman said, catching her by the shoulders and steering her to the door. While she tried to escape, he was by far the stronger and was able to force her outside. Before the door shut, she heard Blake shout her name angrily. The silence that remained as the door slammed shut was not nearly as comfortable as she would have liked.

"You broke the law," Yang said.

"I did."

"You threatened to have her killed to protect your reputation."

"I did."

"I should arrest you right now."

"You should," she admitted. "But do so, and I'll take her down with me." Annabelle didn't smile but there was no denying her grim satisfaction. "She's precious to you, isn't she? Whatever her motives, she broke into here and harmed our employees. I'll go down for sure, but it won't be alone. Even if it's for less time, her career will be ruined."

Yang strode forward and placed her hand on the table. "You're playing a dangerous game, Miss Butters."

"My future is on the line, Captain. My career is my life." Annabelle looked up, and there wasn't a hint of doubt in her eyes. "I'm a desperate woman bereft of options. It's a game I'm willing to play."

She would as well. While she hadn't been in the job long enough to know the ins and outs of the legal system, Blake was pretty clearly on the wrong side here. Sure, Blue Sky had been hiding the truth and that was bad, but that was something for the police to find out. What Blake had done was tantamount to break and entry, assault, property damage and a whole boat more. The fact that she was a faunus – and worse, though this woman didn't realise it – ex-White Fang? There was a good chance that would be found out in court, and then Blake would be lucky if she didn't go down for as long as Torchwick.

Vale wasn't feeling particularly forgiving to the White Fang and those associated with them.

Yang let out a long sigh and pulled the chair opposite the desk out. When she sat down, her eyes were flat, her face emotionless. "You better have something good to show me."

"Only if we have an accord…"

Yang unclasped her badge and laid it face-down on the desk.

The CEO smiled. "Here is what footage we have…"

/-/

Yang refused to even look at Blake as she pushed her way out of Blue Sky's facility and made her way outside. The rest of the team were gathered outside waiting for her, both with the main APC the majority of them had been hidden in, and the patrol car she, Roman and Neo had arrived in. The diminutive girl in question was stood beside Roman, utterly unharmed despite her one-woman infiltration. In that regard she'd done better than Blake by far.

"What did she say?" Blake demanded the second Yang approached. "Don't tell me you made a deal with her!" Her voice was full of accusation, and Yang wanted to respond to it so badly. Instead, she turned to Junior.

"Can you take her back to the HQ? The rest of us will follow in the APC."

"You can't ignore me, Yang!"

"Come on, miss," Junior said, pushing her head down and into the door. "I'm sure we can sort this out peacefully." The door slammed shut and clicked locked, and not a moment later Junior was pulling out and away.

"Well?" Roman asked once she was gone. "What did you find out?"

"The break-in was only two days before what happened at Middivale," she said, holding up a disk with the footage saved onto it. While there was a risk she might have shared it, Annabelle clearly considered it countered by what would befall Blake if she did. "We'll go over it back at the HQ, but from what little I saw the break-in was done _by_ Annabelle herself."

"And yet she's still there?"

"That's the problem. The footage shows it was her, but she had to force her way through several doors – something she wouldn't need to do if it really was her. She was able to get past _people_ , but not electronic or automatic security. The real Annabelle has an alibi, of course," she added. "Even if she didn't, it's pretty obvious this wasn't her and considering how far she'd go to keep her company going, I doubt she'd be involved with the White Fang."

"So, someone broke in disguised as her, fooled all the guards, and then copied down the recipe for the medicine. It was then taken elsewhere, synthesised into the Fang virus, and the White Fang took over a factory in Vale so they could mass-produce and ship it." Roman crossed his arms. "That about right?"

"Pretty much."

"It's a good plan," Miltia said. "A pretty vicious one, but well organised."

"It's indiscriminate, though," Melanie said. "I mean, who is this even aimed at? They're basically just fucking up every single person in the city. What good is that? What's the point?"

"General chaos?" Mercury guessed.

Melanie hit his arm. "Not everyone's as fucked up as your lot were. The White Fang are bastards, but they're bastards with a goal. I'm pretty sure turning people into raving psychopaths isn't going to do much for faunus equality _or_ superiority."

"Not unless the White Fang intend to come out with the cure," Roman said. "Even then, I doubt it would work since everyone knows they did it, but it's possible they didn't expect that. What if they figured they'd spread the virus, stay hidden, then come out as heroes when they magically _cure_ it a few days later?"

"If people didn't realise they made it, then it might work," Yang mused. "I'm not sure, though. It's pretty high tech for the White Fang. Weren't they pretty much useless when you were working with them?"

"Yeah, a real circus," he agreed. "They didn't have Adam back then, though. I hear he's no joke."

Her stump itched at the mention of his name, and a flash of phantom pain shot through her missing arm. It always happened whenever she thought about him. Roman wasn't wrong. Adam was more than strong enough to change the way the White Fang operated.

Still, there were other things to consider and she wanted to go over the footage on her own later. _Then there's Vincent,_ she thought. _He did say he could help out if we provided this information. Can I really trust him, though? What if he rats out Blake?_

"We're going home," Yang said, slapping a hand on the side of the APC.

"No arrests?" Mercury asked. "Even after what they did in there?"

"No. None at all."

The VSPR grumbled but made their way inside after a few seconds. Yang waited until they were all in, Roman in the driver's seat, before she climbed in beside him and slammed the door shut. She couldn't blame them for their frustration. This wasn't how she'd wanted the raid to end either. To drive away from Blue Sky with not a single criminal brought to justice, but worse, to know that she'd been complicit in letting one such person get away with near-murder.

It was not a satisfying feeling…

/-/

"Where is she?" Yang asked as she stepped into the building proper. Junior was waiting for her but there was no black-haired faunus at his side. His uniform was a little more ruffled than she remembered, hinting that Blake hadn't been pleased at her treatment.

"I couldn't keep her still." Junior crossed his arms and scowled. "She kept shouting things at me, demanding to know what we knew and then asking if I was working with the White Fang. When I told her to sit still and wait for you, she tried to get into your office."

"My office? Why?"

"Probably wanted to root around in your stuff for answers," he said.

Yang sighed and groaned at the same time. Yet again it was another case of being surprised and not surprised at all, and with her errant partner the cause. Blake wouldn't think twice at helping herself through someone's drawers, and while there was nothing incriminating she could have found in there right now, there could have been. It could have gotten her in trouble had it been anyone else.

"Is she in there now?"

"No. I told her she couldn't go into your office and she ignored me. I then grabbed hold of her and she elbowed me in the face." He touched the skin about his eye, which true to his words had started to turn a faint purple. Miltia and Melanie seethed at it, rushing past her to hover on each side of their former employer. "I'm fine, girls," he said. "I'm – hey!"

"We'll be the judge of that," Melanie said, dragging his head down by his collar and inspecting the damage.

"Oh Junior," Miltia sighed. "Your good lucks are ruined forever. It's hopeless."

"It's a black eye," he grunted. "It'll be gone in a few hours."

"You'll never play the piano again!"

Yang rolled her eyes but let the display go on a little longer, if only because she figured she owed him it for dropping Blake on him. Criminal he might have been, but he'd been the easiest to handle out of all of them, and speaking of difficult cases, Roman and Neo had retired to the couches to crack open some beer between them. Mercury had ignored it all entirely and turned on the console by the TV, starting up his favourite fighting game.

Truly, such hard workers. They'd just finished a raid but it was still the middle of the day. They were on duty.

"Blake isn't here now," she finally said, drawing Junior's attention. "Don't tell me you let her go. Where is she now?"

He looked up at her and smiled viciously.

"Take a wild guess."

/-/

Blake was not a happy kitten; that much was obvious. She had her knees drawn up onto the low bed and her amber eyes glared at the floor. She didn't look apologetic, nor interested in listening to a word anyone said. Typical Blake behaviour, really. Yang stood on the other side of the steel bars and sighed.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Blake?"

"Yang?" Blake looked up, seeing her for the first time and quickly leaping up off the prison cell bed. She rushed to the cell door, gripping two bars with both hands. "That… that _criminal_ put me in here," she snapped.

"Junior is an officer of the VSPR, and my employee," Yang corrected. "You also punched him in the face."

"I elbowed him."

"You meant to," she accused. Blake remained silent, though she did shrug one shoulder noncommittally.

"That doesn't matter. What about Blue Sky Research? What did she tell you?"

It didn't matter? Just like that? Maybe it was because he was _just_ a criminal, or just someone not important to Blake in the slightest. _He matters to the Malachites,_ she thought. _He treats them like his daughters and they get protective around him in turn._ Of course, compared to the White Fang, Blake simply wouldn't care. She was like a dog with a bone, though she wouldn't have appreciated the comparison.

"Annabelle Butters told me many things," she said.

"What did she say?"

"Things that are part of a police investigation."

Blake recoiled. "You're not going to tell me!?"

"Should I?" Yang challenged. "Like I said, this is a police investigation. You're not a part of the police force; any force. This is very much out of your jurisdiction and it would be against the rules for me to reveal anything to you."

"The White Fang is my responsibility!" Blake hissed, pushing back against the bars.

"No, it's not!" Yang shouted back, startling her ex-partner. This time it was her hand which gripped the bars, pulling her face forward. "It's not and it never was! I know you feel responsible for them, but this is fast turning into an obsession. You convinced us to help you the last time because you said the authorities weren't doing anything, but we are. We're trying our hardest and working on this and we don't need you butting in. _I_ don't need you butting in."

"What!?" Blake took a few steps back but recovered quickly, her shock morphing into anger once more. "You must be joking! If the police were capable of dealing with this, the attack on Beacon would never have happened and you wouldn't have lost your arm." She looked down to it and Yang subtly shifted her body to the side, hiding the injury. It didn't do much good.

"Yeah, they might have been but things are different now," she said. "I'm in charge. Are you saying you can't trust me?"

"I don't see why not," Blake growled. "You obviously don't trust me."

Yang sighed and pushed back. "It's not that I don't trust you, Blake. It's that I can't afford to have you doing this. You have to leave it to the authorities. You're not helping here, and you're actually hindering me."

"I won't stop. I'm not going to stop trying to bring them to justice."

Gods, was this how she'd always been? Realistically she knew it was the case. It reminded her of the time before the dance when Blake had been wearing herself thin, except that now she was on the other end of the divide. _Even back then, the police must have been trying to stop the White Fang and Roman,_ she thought. _Did we never consider that, or did we just not care?_

They'd always been the good guys, after all. What did it matter if they caused a little damage or broke the rules every now and then? They were the heroes.

She had to wonder how many police investigations they'd botched up with their actions. It was easy to say it had worked out, but since she'd lost an arm and her place in Beacon she wasn't so sure. It had been so easy to break the rules and do what they wanted, and they'd never got in trouble for it despite the clear chaos they'd caused.

Blake had never regretted it, either. That much was obvious. The true irony of it all was that she didn't think Blake even wanted justice, despite how much she went on about it. She wanted revenge; revenge and maybe redemption, but justice was the last thing on her mind.

 _And almost all the drama and the things we went through boil back to her obsession with the White Fang,_ she thought. _Each and every time we were in danger it was because we were either chasing them or Roman, and always because she needed us to. I'd still have an arm if it wasn't for her rushing off to face Adam without any warning._ Yang's only hand clenched shut, shaking by her side.

"You need to stop chasing after the White Fang," she said, voice calm and even. "We're working to stop them. The entire force is, along with the Council and numerous other people to boot. People who have more resources, more experience and more authority than you. People who won't get in trouble or nearly be killed attacking companies like Blue Sky."

"You made a deal with that woman," Blake accused. "You did, didn't you? You let her go! Yang, how could yo-"

"I let her go for you!" Yang howled, patience shot. She kicked the cell door, rattling it loudly and forcing Blake to leap back in fright. "I made a deal and let her go to keep _you_ out of prison, you pig-headed, stubborn piece of… you piece of shit!" She kicked it again, and the bars groaned at the impact. "I had to throw aside what integrity I had to let her go, and the only person in Remnant I did it for was you! Does that make you happy?"

Blake's eyes were wide. "Y-Yang, I… I didn't realise…"

"No, you didn't!" she yelled, still angry and ranting and desperate to make Blake feel a fraction of what she felt. "You never do. It wasn't enough that you cost me my arm, but you didn't even fight to let me keep my place in Beacon. Now I have a new job and I'm doing the best I can and you're trying to cost me that, too? No, no way. You don't get to do that and you sure as hell don't get to try and pull the moral high ground on me!"

"It's not just me being stubborn," Blake countered. "We never said you couldn't be a huntress again. We just wanted you to take a break and adapt to only having one arm. We would have helped you train; sparred with you, done everything we could to put you back on your feet! We'd have tanked the final exams and been held back so that we could be a team again, but you never gave us the chance to explain!"

"Like I believe that," Yang snarled. Weiss was busy being Miss Perfect, and Blake wanted to chase the White Fang, not wait for a broken partner. She'd already left one, right? What was another? Even Ruby wouldn't wait – too eager to get out there and make a difference. They might have thought they wanted to now, but give it a few months for them to get used to being a team of three and they'd forget all about her. They'd make excuses like how they could be a team _after_ Beacon, or how it would just be a waste to stay back a year. "You wouldn't stay," she said. "The three of you would have been gone before I had a chance to get back into Beacon."

"You and your issues," Blake cried. "We're not all like your mother!"

"Watch it, Blake. You're crossing a dangerous line."

"Am I? Well maybe it has to be crossed. I know you have abandonment issues but you can't just assume everyone is going to do the same. We're not. We're a team. I used to think you of all people knew what that meant, but that was before you ran off to hang out with criminals and make a new one for yourself!"

"Oh, preached on running away by the master of it. I'm honoured!"

"I'm not innocent either, but at least I'm trying to fix things – I'm trying to stop the White Fang and make things better for everyone."

Blake cut off, panting from the effort, and Yang did the same, the two glaring at one another through the silvery bars, now bent inwards thanks to her repeated blows. They were still mostly in one piece, however. Unlike her temper, that was. There were just too many things boiling below the surface, and it wasn't all about Blake either.

There was anger towards Ruby and Weiss, towards Ozpin – towards Blue Sky, Annabelle Butters, the White Fang and this whole messed-up situation. She wanted to punch something until it was a fine mist, and if she wasn't careful that something would be Blake.

 _Calm,_ she told herself. _Stay calm. You're above this._

She wasn't, but the mantra worked to convince herself she could be. Yang took a step back, biting down on her anger as she felt her crimson eyes fade back to lilac. Her stump burned… almost like something had taken a thousand needles to it.

"Nothing changes," Yang finally said, trying so hard to keep her voice even. "You need to stop this one-woman crusade against the White Fang. It might have worked before but Adam's here now and we've already seen how that went." She held up her severed arm and Blake flinched at the stark reminder. "If you find him, it'll be more than an arm you lose."

"And if you find him, he'll finish the job," Blake pressed back. "Please, Yang… don't do this."

"It's my job and I have back-up. Your job is to train at Beacon and become a huntress. Once that happens, you can join as an aide and look into the White Fang or do whatever you want. Until then, you play by the laws of the city – and that doesn't give teenagers carte blanche to do what they want. No matter how much Ozpin let us get away with…"

"I'm not going to stop," Blake said. "I'm sorry, Yang, but I won't. You can't make me."

"Really?" Yang barked a sharp laugh and turned towards the stairs. "I think I can."

"Wait, where are you going?" Blake pressed against the bars once more.

"I'm going to go work, report to any Fang incidents and then compile the evidence I've received today," she said. "Then I guess I'll fill in some reports, call off for the night and get some rest. My apartment needs work, so I'll try and clean the place up."

It wasn't what she'd meant and Yang knew it.

"What about me?"

"I'll call Beacon," Yang said, waving a hand. "I'm sure someone there will care enough to fill out the forms for your bail."

Blake gasped. "You're _arresting_ me!?"

Yang looked back over one shoulder, one eyebrow raised. "Are you surprised?"

Apparently she was. She slammed her body against the bars. "On what charges!?"

"Breaking and entry, vigilantism, obstruction of justice, interference with a police operation, physical assault on an officer, verbal assault on an officer, resisting arrest…" She let the charges trail off. "Pick your charges. I'll see you later, Blake."

"Yang, wait! Don't be an idiot! Yang! YANG!"

She ignored Blake's angry cries as she ascended the stairs and left her behind – and even more so when she clamped the metal door shut and the noise died off entirely. She sighed and pressed her forehead against the metal, feeling the cool temperature ease her pounding head.

"Is that wise?" Roman asked.

"When did you get here?" she growled.

"Waited the whole time… heard most of what was said." He popped a cigar into his mouth and lit it, his body leaning back against one of the corridor walls. "I won't say you were wrong, and I personally enjoy the idea of that brat cooling her heels behind bars for a bit, but I've got a feeling she's not going to be very forgiving after this."

"That's fine. I'm not feeling very forgiving either."

"Hmm, right now for sure, but what about later? Decisions like this have a habit of lasting longer than you'd like."

He had a point, but she was too angry to care. There should have been a different woman in that cell but she was going to go free because Blake had decided to play vigilante and get herself caught. If that was going to be a recurring theme, she'd rather take a risk and put the fear or prison into her now.

"Let me handle my affairs, Roman. You focus on yours."

"As you say, Captain. Anything you need me to handle?"

Everything, she wanted to say. She couldn't however, and she still had to decide where she wanted to tell Vincent about what they'd found. He was an unknown, but one whose information had proven true, and technically saved Blake's life. For that alone he deserved a little faith, even if he was a mysterious bastard.

"Sort Neo out and get her a uniform made. Make sure she knows the situation."

Roman nodded and departed, leaving Yang to make the lonely route to her office alone. Once there, she slumped behind the desk and drew out her scroll. It had numerous messages on it still, but she ignored those and dialled one in particular. It took a few rings before it was answered.

" _Miss Xiao-Long?"_ Ozpin asked, surprised. _"Is this important? I'm in the middle of a-"_

"I've arrested one of your students," she said.

There was a long pause.

" _Oh dear…"_

"Oh dear, indeed." She leaned back and scowled at the ceiling. "I have her in a cell right now, but you'll need to come down to pick her up."

" _Do you intend to press charges?"_

"Depends on whether you'll stop this happening again or not."

" _I am currently busy but I shall have Glynda come to collect Miss Belladonna."_ Yang wasn't as surprised as she felt she should have been at the fact he knew exactly who it was. It was probably an easy guess for him, as well. _"I am sure Glynda will be most upset with her for this, and she speaks with my authority when it comes to affairs in Beacon. Will that be enough, Captain Xiao-Long?"_

"It will be. Thank you."

" _No, thank you. I appreciate you coming to me with this first. I believe it will be better for everyone if we can handle this matter discretely."_

"I agree completely. I'll look forward to her arrival." She ended the call, slumped back in her seat, and held her arm across her face. She felt exhausted, both physically and mentally, and despite satisfying her own childish desire for revenge, locking Blake up hadn't done much for her already poor mood.

At least they were moving closer to the White Fang. All she had to do was check the footage and decipher who exactly could have been behind this, for she doubted very much any member of the White Fang could have handled so delicate a mission. After all, it would require someone who could wear the face of another.

Her eyes fell to a white business card on her desk, adorned only with a name; Vincent Saint-Sinclair, and beneath that, a number. With a long sigh, she reached for her scroll once more.

No rest for the wicked.

/-/

Blake watched the door her partner had left through for several long minutes, hoping she would open it and return – expecting it, even. As time ticked by and she didn't return, her hopes slowly died, and were then replaced by anger. And then, when that died, by defeat.

Things weren't supposed to be like this…

Yang was being stupid. She was being ridiculous; taking her anger over the Beacon issue out on her and now throwing her behind bars like some kind of common criminal. She paced the cell, five metres by five metres, and finally found herself at the bed once more. It was midday but with nothing to do, she had no options. She scowled and laid down on it, turning her face against the wall.

"Hey," a voice whispered through the wall. "Hey, new girl. What are you in for?"

She clenched her eyes shut and ignored him. She wasn't in the mood and even if she had been, she wouldn't talk to a White Fang member like him. She remembered the guy from the last time she and the team had come here. Oh Gods, what were Weiss and Ruby going to say when they heard about this? What were they going to _do_?

What was _she_ going to do?

Would Yang really turn her in?

She was disappointed to realise she wasn't sure, and given that it was supposed to be her friend and partner, that fact hurt. Annoyed and upset – both at herself and at Yang – she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow, determined to fall asleep and pretend this sorry day had never happened.

"What's your name?" the White Fang grunt called once more. "Mine is-"

"I don't care, Mark."

"I'm not called Mark…"

"No one cares."

* * *

 **Well, quite the drama-filled chapter really. There wasn't much I could do about that and Blake is being Blake. To note, this isn't me bashing on her – even if someone did amusingly note how in multiple fics at the moment she is having a bad time. That's just a coincidence of how the plots have fallen. Here, this is important as a means to keep RWB in the story, otherwise they'd naturally fade out of it.**

 **Note: As many may know or have heard from other fics, I will be taking a break for Christmas from 25** **th** **to 1** **st** **January. Just putting it here so everyone knows, etc…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the chapter – final of 2017 as it were. I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **Badge:** EatboxTV

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

The intercom on Yang's desk buzzed. She took a deep breath and answered it.

" _There's some scary lady here for you,"_ Miltia said. _"She's giving everyone evil glares and Mercury is hiding behind the couch. Heh, what a pussy."_

It didn't take a genius to figure out who that was. Yang was impressed she'd made it so early. "Send her in," she said.

Glynda Goodwitch arrived a second later, and Yang had to force herself to address the woman who had been her teacher only a few months earlier in that way. There was an overwhelming desire to call her Miss Goodwitch or Professor, but that was no longer the case and she couldn't afford to come across as weak in front of her.

Instead, Yang remained seated at her desk and waved her hand for the older woman to take a seat. She nodded and did so, eyes scanning briefly over the paper strewn across the desk.

"Paperwork, I see. It seems you've discovered the true joy of gainful employment."

"Maybe I'll get an assistant at some point."

"Just be sure not to overwork her as much as Ozpin does me."

Was that a joke? Yang watched the woman warily but did let out a little laugh. She hadn't expected the strict teacher to have a sense of humour, but then again they weren't in class anymore, and their relationship wasn't quite that.

"Do you mind if I call you Glynda?" she asked.

"Only if I may call you Yang. Captain Xiao-Long does not roll of the tongue, especially when up until a few weeks back it was simply `Miss Xiao-Long`."

It was official – she'd entered the twilight zone. Yang nodded her assent and poured Glynda some water from the cooler behind her. She handed it over and then did one for herself, the act slightly more complicated when she only had the one hand. She was grateful the other woman didn't try to do it for her, though.

"It seems you're settling in well here," Glynda said, "though I can't say much for the company you keep. I had the misfortune of running into Roman Torchwick in your foyer."

"Is he still in one piece?"

"I restrained myself."

"I appreciate it," Yang laughed. "This is all necessity though, so don't think I like it any more than you do. Mercury was the guy who framed me, after all. I have to fight the urge to break his leg every day I'm here."

"Yes, I'm aware of your circumstances," Glynda said, "and of how they came about. I feel I should apologise also for not warning you of Ozpin's decision ahead of time. I could have intercepted you and made sure you understood the situation."

Yang swallowed. "Why didn't you?"

"I believed you already knew. I thought you were there to protest his decision. We did expect you would, of course."

Which she had been in a way, but that hadn't been the original reason. Glynda had obviously thought the same as Ozpin in assuming her team had told her, and they must have been as embarrassed as her when they all realised that wasn't the case. "There's nothing to apologise for," Yang said. "You weren't at fault and I can't exactly hold a grudge against you for not even knowing. I should have already been told."

"You should have, but if I may… such things are not as easy to tell as one might believe."

"Don't make excuses for them."

"What they did, they did out of fear, not malice. It was foolish, yes, but they were afraid to tell you. They truly love you, and-"

"I don't want to hear it," Yang growled. Her eyes flashed red but she forced the instinctive anger down. Glynda didn't deserve it aimed at her, nor did Ozpin. They might have ultimately decided she wasn't ready to rejoin Beacon, but that was their job. They had to make such choices. They weren't at fault for not telling her. "I'm sorry," Yang said, looking away. "I know it's not your fault but I don't want to talk about that, about them. That is… between the four of us."

Glynda watched her for a few long seconds, seconds during which she no doubt made up her own conclusions as to what that meant. "I see. Well then, shall we discuss the matter for which I am here? I understand you have one of our students."

"I do. She interfered with a police operation."

"And I believe it is one of your teammates…"

"It is," Yang said. She watched Glynda's eyes for any clue of what she thought of that. "That has no relevance on why she was arrested, though. She interfered with our job. Nothing more." She wasn't being vengeful, at least that was what she told herself.

"I see." Glynda gave no indication on whether she believed it or not. "Where do you want us to go from here, then? I will defer to your decision."

Yang paused. "You will…?"

"Of course."

"You're being surprisingly co-operative," she pointed out. "I thought you'd be angry."

"Oh, I am," Glynda admitted, "but that is not directed at you. If I may be frank, you have the advantage in this exchange. Miss Belladonna has broken the law and you have arrested her. It's hardly in my, or her, best interest for me to be anything but co-operative."

"Makes sense," Yang said, a little pleased that she was coming in on her side, if only by omission. She rose from her seat. "Do you want to see her?"

Glynda sighed. "I suppose I ought to."

The two made their way from the office and down the corridor toward the prison cells, where a large, steel door blocked the way. Entering the codes to open it, Yang pulled it open and allowed the teacher to enter first.

The noise from the door opening was audible, and the inhabitants certainly didn't miss it.

"Yang!?" Blake shouted. "Is that you? Let me out of here before-"

"Before _what_ , Miss Belladonna?" Glynda appeared before the cell with arms crossed. Blake's teeth clicked as she sealed her mouth shut. "You are in enough trouble already, so I would advise you to remain silent while I and the Captain sort this unpleasantness out."

Blake did so, though she glared at Yang in a mixture of shock and betrayal, like she couldn't believe she'd been tattled on like this.

"She interfered in an active investigation," Yang repeated for Glynda's benefit. "What's more, she turned it from an investigation into what could have easily been a shoot-out. She attacked people who were, not innocent per se, but also not explicitly guilty of any crime. Suspects, at best."

"Were any harmed?"

"Quite a few, but I've convinced them not to press charges."

At quite the cost to herself, that was. Blake knew as well as she, but realised it wouldn't be wise to shout that out since it might end up with her landing in a worse mess. She pouted on her bed instead, arms crossed and eyes on the back wall.

"That's fortunate," Glynda said, "so long as you also choose not to."

"I wouldn't have asked you to come here if I was going to do that."

Blake breathed an audible sigh in her cell. Glynda, however, merely raised an eyebrow.

"No, but you could easily have let her go with a warning if you intended to. I was not born yesterday, so please feel free to tell me what it is you want from us. I'm sure Ozpin will be willing to negotiate in order to secure Miss Belladonna's return."

It sounded mercenary when she put it like that, but there wasn't any other way to say it. Yang's cheeks flushed and she had to resist the urge to laugh nervously. Her attempts to be subtle had gone as well as they always did…

"Okay yeah, you caught me."

"Isn't this blackmail?" Blake asked petulantly.

"It is a mutually beneficial relationship," Glynda countered. "Much like it had to be when I personally ensured _your team_ was not punished for the damage you did to the docks, or the panic you caused fighting Torchwick's Paladin on a busy road." She glared both at Blake _and_ Yang for that, and the two of them couldn't meet her eyes.

Looking back on it, it seemed painfully obvious that someone had come in on their defence. They'd endangered so many lives, even if it had been to stop Torchwick. They'd been the ones to panic him into riding the Paladin, and they'd been the ones to chase him onto a busy road where he could have killed countless people.

And each time, Beacon had to pay in some way, as they were now.

"I want Ozpin's support in front of the Council," Yang said. "I'm sorry if you had to get involved, but it was him I was trying to reach."

"You want his political backing?" Her tone made it obvious that was a tough call.

"Only his good will," Yang assured. "I don't expect him to actually vote in our favour on anything, and we don't even have anything we're trying to push through. I just want him to offer a word in defence if things ever turn against us. Just to back us up a little and remember that we helped him out. That's all."

Glynda sighed and shook her head. "You make it sound so simple. It's anything but. Very well, I shall pass the message onto him. I cannot promise any results, but I'm sure Ozpin would be able to find some other way to repay you if he cannot do this." She held out a hand. "Is that enough?"

Yang took it.

"Yeah, it's enough." Yang shook the hand, then moved to open the cell door and let Blake out. Blake refused to meet her gaze as she stalked past to stand beside Miss Goodwitch.

"Wait upstairs," the teacher instructed. "And be sure to thank the police captain for not laying charges on you."

"Thank you, _Captain_ ," Blake said, stressing the title. She was gone a second later.

It was an awkward silence that persisted between them, broken only by the sound of Yang sighing, and the quiet shake of Glynda's head.

"She is angry," Glynda said. "I'll be sure to have a word with her on how kind you are actually being. Things could be much worse for her. For you, as well."

"Don't bother. She'll make up her own mind."

"Such infighting between friends is not healthy, for you or for her."

"Didn't I ask you to leave it be, earlier?"

"You did. I think you are making a mistake, but I shall refrain from pointing it out." Glynda apparently saw no hypocrisy in that, even as Yang groaned. "Either way, I will also be talking to Miss Belladonna about her behaviour, both in a cell and in her actions against known criminals. Rest assured, I will make sure she does not get in your way again."

"Yeah, it'd be cool if you could," she said. "Blake… I know she means well but she caused us real issues. I actually thought someone was going to die for a moment."

"As did I when I learned where you had taken Torchwick's Paladin."

Yang's eyes closed at the rebuke. It hadn't stung before, but it did now. Gods, they'd been so stupid. "Was anyone hurt from that?" she asked. "Did anyone…?"

"Die?" Glynda asked. "No. Ozpin and I would have been unable to protect you all if anyone had. There were several cases of minor injuries however, along with damage to numerous vehicles and cases of whiplash among those who tried to swerve out of the way. It was nothing short of a miracle that no one suffered a fatal crash."

And a miracle that they weren't in prison for it, or expelled in disgrace.

"I'm sorry. I know I didn't say it at the time but…"

"It is fine. It's enough that you realise it now, and that you mean it." Glynda regarded her with something akin to a smile, even if it were crushed under her stern visage. "I must say, I believe this spell away from Beacon has done you well, Yang."

"Don't get used to it. I still want my spot back."

"Should you win it, I shall still consider this sojourn to have been educational. Perhaps I should push for it to be a mandatory work experience course."

Yang's smile fell. "Please don't give me students."

"Not even those who could benefit from it? I'd love to let you look after Mr Arc for a week or two."

Jaune…? She could just imagine him screaming in fear as they hurtled down the road in a cop car, or hesitating to hurt a potential criminal in a raid, or being taken hostage, getting trapped or otherwise causing problems in his usual accidental manner. She had no idea how Pyrrha put up with him but it was probably hormones. Hormones and the most rose-tinted glasses ever created.

Her face must have said it all for Glynda laughed. "Perhaps not, then. Either way, thank you for allowing us to handle this issue in such a peaceful manner. I appreciate it, and I'll make sure that Ozpin does as well. I'm sure Team RWBY will once they have a chance to calm down."

"They will or they won't," Yang said. "Not my problem."

"Considering you want to rejoin Beacon and integrate back into their team, I think it should be."

"Yeah, but then the whole thing won't matter anymore. Once I'm back in, the argument won't exist and we can forget it ever happened. Easiest way to deal with it."

"Ignoring the root problem is akin to ignoring a disease and only treating the symptoms," Glynda warned. "It will end in disaster. I'll suggest again that you and your team talk. Nothing will be fixed so long as you both cling to this red line between you."

Yang scowled. "I'm not clinging to anything."

"If that is what you believe, Yang." The teacher nodded and stepped away, signalling the matter closed for now. Before she left the cells entirely however, she turned back. "Are you not going to do something about him?"

"Who?" Yang asked, curious.

Glynda pointed.

"Oh, Mark? Meh, one day."

"You cannot keep him here indefinitely."

"Well, I can't let him go," she said. "Hey Mark, you ready to answer any questions yet?"

"NEVER!"

Yang looked back to Glynda and shrugged.

"I see… even so, I'm not sure you can keep him in custody. You at least know his name so you can-"

"And my name isn't Mark!"

Yang raised both shoulders, as if to ask what she was supposed to do. In the background, the prisoner continued to shout his defiance, both to the general situation and to any chances of finding out anything more. No name meant no paperwork. No paperwork meant no records, and that meant he'd be stuck there until Yang figured out what to do with him.

Glynda looked frazzled. "Well… I suppose I'll leave him to you, then."

"You sure you don't want to take him, as well?" Yang asked. "I'll make it a deal. Two faunus for the price of one."

"I think I'll have my hands full with the one, but thank you."

/-/

Things became a little quieter after Blake and Glynda left. Yang finished up some of her paperwork but didn't receive any messages from Vincent or the organisation he worked for. Similarly, while there were one or two calls for them to move on Fang busts, the news had gotten out across Vale and the number was dying out as people disposed of their medicine and purchased new ones. She had Junior and Mercury handle those shifts, and before long it was time for her and Roman to break off for the day entirely.

"I'll let Neo bunk at mine," he said. "There's more than enough room for it."

"That's fine," Yang said, even if it wasn't. The last thing she wanted was those two together but there wasn't much she could do about it. She wanted Neo with _her_ even less. "Remember that she's being watched, so anything she does is going to fall on your ass." And the VSPR's. "Make sure she's on her best behaviour."

"I'll be sure she isn't caught for anything."

That wasn't what she'd meant and Roman damn well knew it, but he laughed and sauntered off before she could demand he make sure Neo didn't do anything worth being _caught over_ at all. He was likely just being his usual self and trying to get a rise out of her. Like usual, it was working. He was such an asshole.

She took a taxi back to her apartment, or more specifically she took a taxi to a road nearby before the man, an elderly faunus, said he didn't dare go any further and had to drop her off there. She rolled her eyes, paid him the fare, and walked the rest of the way.

The streets were as rough as ever even if the sun hadn't gone down. Teenagers loitered in hoodies drawn up and several exchanged things she was fairly sure they shouldn't be. _I should really do something about that,_ she thought. Then again, she was off duty and even if she wasn't there was precious little she could do. She didn't have a squad car to put them in and the whole area was basically a shithole. Even the locals knew it, evidenced by the way they casually threw litter and trash onto the street and left it there. Yang navigated around a smashed bottle and ignored the arrogant sneer of a guy she could break over her knee if he tried anything. She pulled out her key and let herself into her apartment.

"Wazzat?" the whale on his couch called.

"Just me," Yang replied.

"Oh, babe." She shivered at the affectionate nickname. "A guy came around looking for you earlier. I didn't think you was livin' with anyone."

Yang paused on the stairs. "I'm not. Did he say who it was?"

"Nah. I told him to piss off."

 _Not exactly useful,_ she thought, shaking her head and continuing up the stairs as her landlord laughed. The creepy part was the bastard had probably done that to try and scare the guy off out of some weird hope he had a chance with her. No way. She'd have to have more alcohol than blood in her before she considered that. She just hoped it hadn't been Vincent, since she was still waiting on him to get in touch.

Oh well, he had her scroll number if he needed it. She fished out her keys and unlocked her door, but paused as she heard a sound inside.

Her handgun came out from under her jacket, falling into her hand. She flicked off the safety and pressed her severed arm against the door, using her shoulder to ease it open. If it were Vincent he'd have answers to give, but she doubted he would dare break in to her apartment after their last meeting. The area was rough, which meant this could just as easily be something else.

Well, the bastard had chosen the wrong place to try and rob.

The door slammed open. Yang charged in, slammed her shoulder against the wall of the narrow corridor and pointed the gun at the man stood in her kitchenette.

He froze with a bottle of beer – hers – already touching his lips.

In a slow and measured motion, he downed it, ironically reminding her of _another_ person she desperately wished she could shoot. Damn Neo. Once he was done he gasped, slammed the bottle down, and then staggered over to her.

"Willing to shoot me over a beer." He belched. "It's times like this I know we're truly related. I'm so proud of you."

"Uncle Qrow, you idiot," she hissed, flicking the safety back on and putting the gun away. "I could have _shot_ you!"

"And I'd have been fine," the idiot laughed, reaching out to ruffle her hair before she slapped his hand away. "Aw, come on, Firecracker. I came on by to see how you're doing and you won't even give me a hug? I'm hurt."

"You broke into my apartment."

He spread his arms wide.

"You drank my beer."

He cocked an eyebrow.

"I hate you so much," Yang growled into his chest. She made sure to stomp on his toe when he laughed and hugged her back. "Seriously, you're an idiot. You can't just let yourself into my apartment and drink my beer. How did you even get in, anyway? I thought my landlord got rid of you."

"That thing downstairs? That's a _person_?" He grinned as she giggled. "Eh, I swept around and flew up to your window. It was locked but I managed to get it open. Weird thing is no one even batted an eye at it from the outside. Nice neighbourhood you've managed to find." He glowered at the threadbare couch and peeling walls. "Nice place, too."

"It's a fixer-upper," she said.

"That's one way of putting it… tell me again why you didn't ask to stay at my place? I've got room."

"I need to be independent," Yang said, pushing away from him and moving into the kitchen. She flicked the kettle on but sighed when it whistled, keened, and slowly died. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer instead, before she went to sit down on the couch.

Qrow wandered over to do the same, and shot her a meaningful look when the upholstery groaned and farted as he sat down. The cushion gave way and the whole thing shuddered for a moment, unused to the weight of two people.

"Independence," Yang said again, chuckling nervously. "I need it."

"That's not worth living in a place like this. Come live with me."

"I'm too young for you."

"Brat." He made to swing at her, but the motion of it – and her dodging – nearly had the couch collapsing altogether. "At least let me spot you some money to get a better place. Hell, I know you and Tai aren't talking over what happened but if he knew about this he'd crack into his savings without a moment's hesitation. You know that, right?"

"I know. It's not the money. I'm a new renter and no one trusts me yet. It'll get better once I've been in the job for a little longer. And no," she said when Qrow opened his mouth, "I won't stay at yours until that happens. I'm trying to prove I can live on my own."

He obviously didn't agree, but realised there'd be no end to the argument if they continued. He surrendered with a sigh and a glare at the walls around them. "Well this'll prove that if nothing else. If you can live here on your own, you can live anywhere. Gods, even _I_ don't live like this and I'm me."

"I'll bet my place is still tidier than yours," she teased.

"Guilty, but you still have a fridge full of beer. Tai would flip if he found out."

"And whose influence would I blame that on?"

"Ah, deflecting the blame onto me. I've trained you well."

The two of them shared a long look before they both burst into laughter, the crappy couch farting along as they relaxed. Yang shook her head, leaning on the armrest as much as she dared. It felt like ages since she'd just been able to laugh. She even kicked up and rested her legs over her Uncle's, him rolling his eyes as he leaned his bottle on her knee.

"So, you come by to ask me something or did you run out of booze and figured I'd have some?"

"I came by to check up on my niece and make sure she's not making any terrible mistakes. I heard something interesting from Ruby, you know."

Yang sighed, her good mood slipping away. "Look, Blake broke the law. I had to do _something_ with her. This was the best I could manage."

"I don't even know what you're on about," Qrow said. "I mean more about you sleeping with Roman Torchwick! You'd better have a good explanation for that, missy."

Yang's mouth fell open. Blood rushed to her cheeks and beer bubbled out as she spluttered on the bottle. Worse, the very term brought to mind the image of Roman's face – smirking as always – and she instantly wanted to punch Qrow for it. Since she only had one hand and it was occupied, however, he got away with it.

Still… damn it, Ruby!

"I didn't sleep with him!" she howled, mortified at the very suggestion. "Oh my God, I'm going to _kill_ Ruby!"

Qrow looked relieved, but also – to her horror – uncertain. "You didn't?"

"NO!" She buried her face in her pillow and screamed. "We didn't sleep together, I swear. We slept _at_ the same place, but that place was our precinct and that's a huge building. I slept in my office while he took the couch in the foyer."

"And you're sure he didn't try anything?"

"I think I would have noticed, thank you!"

Yang's cheeks, ears and neck burned. This was _not_ the kind of conversation she'd expected tonight, or the one she'd been looking for. It was official; the moment this fight with Ruby was over, her little sister was going to pay.

"Just leave it," she said. "Roman is many things but he's not tried anything."

"Roman?" Qrow asked.

"Torchwick," she said.

"You said Roman."

"It's his name."

"Why are you on a first-name basis with someone like him?"

"Because I _work_ with him. Qrow, please, don't pull a Dad. I don't need this from you."

"Hey, at least I'm not doubting you," he protested.

"No, you're just asking me if I'm banging Vale's most wanted criminal." She glowered at him for that. Sure, it was better than him being like everyone else and thinking she wasn't good enough, but really, _Roman_!? She had standards! "I've not got any time for dating anyway and I doubt anyone would with this." She waved her stump at him.

"Don't be silly, Yang. You're still beautiful."

"And still too young for you. Ew."

"This is what I get for being a supportive uncle," Qrow bemoaned, eyes towards the ceiling. "Well, whatever, as long as you're not about to give birth to a little Torchwick." He ducked the cushion that would have taken his head off. "How are things going though, seriously? I know I've not had much of a chance to catch up with you but I do feel kind of responsible for you being in this mess since I was the one to cheer you on." He paused to poke her cheek. "When I said `do something` I didn't mean free Roman Torchwick, by the way."

"I know…" Yang ducked her head and sighed. "I didn't want to either, but he's been useful. We found out about the White Fang and we probably saved a lot of lives by doing so."

"You did, and that's good." He laughed off the dark mood. "Just be careful, though. You lot are working together and that means they'll play ball, but don't lose sight of who they are. They're still criminals, and dangerous ones at that. Some more so than others, but don't trust the worst ones so easily."

"I won't, Uncle Qrow. I get what you're saying. Sheesh, you're such a worry-wart." She sighed. "How's Dad doing?"

"Worried and alarmed that his daughter won't call him. He's not to blame, you know. He knew you wouldn't be going back to Beacon this year, but he thought Ruby and the others had told you, as well."

"I know. I'm not angry at him."

"Then why haven't you called?"

Yang looked to Qrow and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right, because he'll freak at you being with Torchwick. Heh, and here I thought you were avoiding him because you were angry."

"I am," she admitted, "but I'm also well aware of how Papa Bear he'll go on me. The last thing I need is him coming here and seeing who I work with."

"Or where you live," Qrow pointed out.

"Or that. Seriously, are you going to keep dissing my apartment all night?"

"Or if he finds out about your boyfriend," her uncle added, ignoring her question.

"I'm not sleeping with Torchwick!"

"No, I meant your other boyfriend."

"What boyfriend?" Yang sighed and pressed the cool bottle against her forehead. "You're not making any sense. I don't have a boyfriend. I'm not sleeping with anyone. I've had a hard day and I just arrested one of my friends, blew up part of a research facility and made a shady deal with some rich lady with no morals. Give me a break, _please_."

Qrow stared at her. "What were those last ones…?"

"Break, please!" She glared at him. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Okay, okay, I believe you. It's just…" He winced and looked off to the side. "Well, you might have a rat problem instead."

Yang blinked. "Excuse me…?"

"In your apartment," he said. "Rats."

Yang stared at him. Qrow stared back, and as they held it his face started to look progressively more nervous, like he was trying to hide something from her. Her senses tingled and she narrowed her eyes. "Qrow…"

"Wow, you've really learned a scary expression there, Firecracker. Is that your police captain expression?"

"Don't make me handcuff you, Qrow."

He laughed. "I thought you were too young for me?"

She stared at him.

"There may have been a rat in your apartment before I arrived. A big rat," he added, seeing her incredulous expression. He cringed. "A… uh… human-sized rat. I may have tied it up and left it on your bed after giving it a few choice words."

Yang sighed and swung her legs off of him.

"In my defence, I assumed he was here for a reason! He's luck I didn't kill him since I thought the two of you were bumping uglies."

Yang ignored him and moved to the corridor, bottle in hand and uncle in close pursuit as she opened the door to her room with her shoulder. There, on the bed, a man in a black suit lay hogtied, a sock in his mouth and a piece of tape holding it in place. He didn't look very comfortable, though he made a muffled sound of happiness at seeing her.

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Yang asked, looking to Qrow.

"I kinda figured I wouldn't. Since, you know, I thought he was allowed to be here. If he's not your boyfriend then what's he doing breaking into your apartment."

"I have no idea," Yang said sarcastically. "Why don't you ask the _other_ man who broke into my apartment. Maybe he was just here for a beer as well." She sighed and reached down to rip off the tape, elicting a muffled cry from him before the sock was spat out.

He made to speak but she beat him to it.

"Vincent, what the hell are you doing in my apartment?"

"M-My superiors instructed me to get in touch, Miss-" He saw her raised eyebrow and thought better of it, "C-Captain Xiao-Long, I mean."

"Most people would have called me."

"Calls can be traced and monitored. I needed something more direct, less able to be traced."

"And have we learned a valuable lesson today?"

The man nodded glumly, not looking quite so mysterious or collected as he had before, not hogtied to her bed as he was. He shifted to try and free himself but Qrow had secured his wrists to his ankles behind him, and judging from the bruise on his forehead had knocked him out, too.

"Can you let me sit up, Captain? This is quite uncomfortable."

"Someone you know?" Qrow asked.

"That's debatable."

"I could get rid of him."

"C-Captain…" Vincent gasped.

Yang hummed. "I'm thinking about it…"

"I have information that would be of use," he finally cried, unable to tell if she were being serious or not. "I've been instructed to co-operate with you, to provide you more material to help you trace the Fang Virus."

Yang cheered up immediately. A huge smile spread across her face as she reached down to untie him. "That's what I like to hear. Why didn't you say so straight away?"

"Because I was gagged! By a sock!"

"Touché… "

On that note, she sent a glare to Qrow, not only for gagging someone in her apartment but for raiding her drawers for it. At least it was just a sock. If he'd used her underwear, she'd make him regret it. Eventually she managed to free the man and he sat on her bed, rubbing his wrists to work the circulation back in. Even then, he didn't stop glowering at Qrow, who looked about as apologetic as he ever did. Really, for all their being on different sides, Qrow and Roman might have gotten along well.

 _I'd best keep that thought a secret though, otherwise they'll both flip._ She laughed at the thought before she turned back to Vincent and crossed her arms.

"Okay, I played ball the first time but breaking into my apartment is a little different to breaking into my office."

"I understand that, Captain, but my superiors believe this information is too delicate to send through ordinary channels. We have reason to believe people in high places may be involved, if you catch my drift."

"I'm not an idiot, Vincent. How high? Who?"

"We don't yet know, but it could be all the way to the top. Several police departments or their Captains, at least."

"Yang," Qrow interjected. Gone was his smile. "This isn't sounding very good. You mind telling me what you've got yourself involved in this time?"

"The same as usual, I expect," she sighed. "Terrorists, criminals and mass-murderers. Heh, and you lot thought I'd be safer out of Beacon. Go me." When he didn't look impressed, nor pleased, she sighed. "It's no worse than what happened at Beacon, Qrow."

"Oh goodie. A megalomaniac who nearly killed hundreds of people, turned Atlas' toys psycho, released Grimm into the city and tried to destroy Beacon. Wow, I'm glad this isn't worse than that." His voice was full of sarcasm but he sighed regardless. "Who is this guy, anyway? Who are these superiors?"

Vincent made to answer – or not to, as it were – but Yang beat him to it.

"Mysterious organisation, no names, bla bla. You know the drill."

Qrow looked at her like she was insane. "And this doesn't bother you?"

"Honestly, I feel like it's become par for the course. At least I don't have to give this guy a fake name." That was an improvement, even if she was fairly sure his wasn't real anyway. "Vincent, info now. Please."

"In front of him…?" Vincent asked, nodding to Qrow.

Qrow crossed his arms and made it clear he was going nowhere.

"Vincent," Yang repeated, voice firmer. "Info. Now. Please."

"Okay, okay," he surrendered with a sigh. "But can we at least talk in the front room? This room smells funny, the bed is uncomfortable and I'm _sure_ I saw insects crawling in the corner earlier."

"Front room isn't much better," Qrow grumbled.

Yang threw her hand in the air and stalked out of the room.

Everyone was a critic…

/-/

In a dark building secluded in downtown Vale a young officer of the White Fang swallowed nervously as he approached a door. Two larger faunus flanked it, both wearing masks that were subtly different from his own. Each looked far more powerful, too. Far more disciplined, well-armed and dangerous. They moved in unison to open the door, and though he didn't enter, he did crouch at the entrance, being sure to keep his head low and pointed at the ground.

"Report," a gruff, masculine voice commanded.

"S-Sir, the effects of the Fang Virus is being worked out of the populace." His mouth ran dry and he swallowed loudly before continuing. "I-It's no less effective, sir, but people have started to understand what causes it and are avoiding any contact with the pharmaceutical drugs."

"I see."

There was no intonation that suggested anger there, but none that made him confident enough to look up either. He could feel the stares of the faunus either side of him bearing down. One wrong move would mean certain death. That much was for sure.

"It is of no matter," the man finally said.

The faunus squeaked. "S-Sir?"

"Middivale was but a prelude, a test-run. Its goal was never to last."

But what of the brave and loyal men and women who had given up their freedom to make it work, he wanted to ask. What would happen to them? He did not ask, however. He knew what would happen. They would be forgotten for now, left to be martyrs even as they were locked away in various prisons across Vale.

"W-What should we do, sir? What's our next step?"

"Our next step is our own," a new voice said. It was a woman's, soft and mocking. He heard her heels echo in the room beside the man who had spoken earlier. "It is ours to know, and yours not to. After all, we would not want it making its way back to the wrong people, would we?"

"I-I understand. With your permission…?"

The man in the room scoffed. "Leave us. Wait for our instructions."

The young man nodded.

"It will be as you command, Adam."

* * *

 **It's the end of an arc here, sort of the introductory arc really, since the VSPR are now, essentially, a full unit with Neo's inclusion into the team. Feels like a good time to end it too, since I'll be on holiday next week and the New Year will mark its continuation. Anyway, for those who aren't aware I am off next week for some much-needed rest, which means the next chapter of this won't come out for three weeks.**

 **Have a good Christmas everyone.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**Captain Dragon is back. Today we have a new cover art – provided by "Thatrandom" and an updated badge design of Eatbox TV's initial design. You can see that in the image thumbnail I hope.**

 **Well, without further ado let's get stuck in**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Thatrandom

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

Roman sat on the couch with his feet kicked up onto the coffee table and a sleepy Neo resting against his side, one of his arms carelessly flung around her shoulders. Of all the different ways she'd adapted to – dare he say it – an honest life, waking up early and having to go into work wasn't one of them. He hadn't either but coffee did what it could for his system and he bit back a yawn as he watched the news report, the Malachites, Junior and Mercury on the other couches nearby.

Lisa Lavender was on the screen, covering the main topic as usual. _"Reports of violent encounters with the Fang Virus have dwindled of late as consumers become aware and authorities move to confiscate what infected material remains. After a concerted effort by the Council, hospital, and various police departments, it seems like the virus has been extinguished from Vale. Citizens are still advised to check the dates on their medication, and Middivale Pharmaceuticals have provided a stamp on all new products. Remember, if there's no stamp, it's dangerous. This is Lisa Lavender, signing out."_

"Looks like the White Fang are all out of luck," Junior said, turning off the TV. "I guess that means less work for us."

"No more night shifts," Melanie said, yawning. While it was the beginning of their shift to most of them, she and her sister had worked through the night and were ready to head home.

"About time," Miltia echoed. "I'm fucking sick of busting teenagers. Give me a proper terrorist, not some hyped up twat on drugs."

"You two have missed the bigger thing," Roman said, interrupting them before they could get started. All eyes turned to him and he sighed theatrically. "Various police departments. That speech of hers was almost certainly put forward by the Council and they neglected to mention us by name, or to give us the credit we deserve."

Junior caught on and scowled. "You think they're wiping us under the rug?"

"Why not? We're Vale's embarrassing little secret. No reason to let people know their worst enemies are the ones that saved them. We stay free so long as it's convenient for the Council and the people, and I bet those old fossils would nothing more than to win votes putting us behind bars again."

"What does that mean for us?" Mercury asked.

Junior slammed a fist into the top of his head. "It means, numbskull, that we need to make ourselves _seen_ lest the Council cause issues. We need to be _indispensable_ , both to them and to Vale as a whole."

"Can't we just kill the Council?"

"Are you even listening to yourself!?"

"Leave it be, Junior," Roman said, waving a hand. "There's a reason he was a follower and not a leader. A good reason." He ignored Mercury's raised finger. "But no, we have to play ball. Besides, I doubt the Captain will let us get away with something like that."

Roman heard the front door open and leaned over the back of the sofa. "Speaking of…"

The blonde figure of their Captain bustled through the glass door, using her shoulder to push it open while her hand held a scroll to her ear. Her voice followed a second later, and true to their usual nosiness, every single one of them stopped talking to listen in.

"No, Dad, it's not a dump. It's a lovely little place. What? Uncle Qrow said that? Dad, you know how he is. He exaggerates." Yang spotted them listening and waved a hand for them to stop. None of them did, and Roman leaned forward to better hear. "No, no, I'm not doing anything like that – and no, Ruby got the wrong end of it. Yes, I am still mad. Look, no, I'm not…. Dad, I'm at work. Can this wait?"

She sighed dramatically. "Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay, I get it. Look, I really have to go now." The person on the other end of the scroll said something more and Yang's face darkened. "Y-Yeah… I love you too, dad." The call ended with a click. She glared at them. "What are you lot looking at?"

"Nothing," Roman lied. "Nice to see our beloved Captain is in such a fine mood this morning. Wake up on the wrong side of bed?"

"Barely slept at all," she snapped. "And that was without the guy tied up _in_ my bed."

Mercury wasn't going to miss out on that one. "Ooh, kinky."

"You can shut up." Yang wandered over and slumped down into a spare seat, coincidentally shaking his and waking Neo up. Neo yawned and stretched like a cat, but the upset glare she shot at Yang went ignored.

"We were just watching the news," Junior said. "It looks like the Fang Virus is petering out, but there's a chance the Council are trying to write us out of the picture. Roman's worried we'll be forgotten if we don't do something.

"We stormed Blue Sky barely a day ago," Yang said.

"But that isn't public knowledge," Roman pointed out. "We came away with no arrests, and while we did get some evidence it'll not be enough to sway public opinion. The public need arrests. Or rather, the _media_ needs arrests and we need the media."

"On our side, you mean."

"Or on our payroll…"

Yang scowled. "We don't have that kind of money. I'm not even sure we have a budget at the moment. Junior had to submit a request for us to get a new APC, and the only reason the Council approved it was because we used the last one to discover the Fang Virus before it could hit the streets."

The lack of a budget was a problem since it suggested they weren't trusted – a fact that was obvious from the start. It meant they couldn't move in any way that wasn't known to the Council. Money was power, after all.

"How do we get our own budget?" Junior asked. "We could use the money to spruce this place up. We've only got three squad cars and the APC. That's not really enough, and our weapons are even more limited."

"Why do we need weapons?" Mercury asked. "We have our own."

"Versatility is still key, moron. We need explosives, ordinance, or just options if we get into trouble and need an out. What happens if we're stuck trying to deal with a distant target and we're all stuck to melee?"

"All of this is pointless," Yang interrupted before Mercury could reply. "I agree that we need a budget but we're not going to be given one unless the Council accepts that we're necessary. We need to do something to prove that we are."

"Again," Miltia grumbled.

"Again," Roman agreed. "Raiding the White Fang at the MVP Factory was good but people have short memories. We need something that'll last. People will only remember the good we do if we do it often. One time isn't enough to stick in their minds, and the recent fallout probably kept them distracted." He nodded to the TV. "All the news is about the Fang Virus ending, not who discovered it."

"Well, nothing is going to happen if we don't do something first," Yang said, standing. "Roman, you're with me. We're going to do a patrol around the city."

Eh, that sounded like a boring and thankless task. He made precisely no effort to get up.

"Patrolling for what, exactly?"

"Anything." Yang shrugged. "You said we needed to be seen, right? Time to put your lien where your mouth is."

He had, and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. He stood with a groan, looking at Neo to see if she wanted to come. The lazy girl looked back up at him, before she lounged down into the spot he'd just vacated, enjoying the heat his body had left.

Tch, betrayed.

/-/

Yang didn't so much mind Roman's surly mood as they drove around Vale. She wasn't in much of a good one herself, not just because of the situation but because Uncle Qrow and Vincent had kept her up for hours. Most of it was just the former trying to get information out of the latter and the latter being evasive. Uncle Qrow was like Zwei after a bone, and that meant he just couldn't accept Vincent's secretive nature for what it was.

" _Seriously,"_ she'd finally yelled. _"Just accept that he's a mysterious bastard and move on. Some of us have work in the morning!"_

They'd both stared at her like she was mad at that, but come on – she had to manage an entire police department of people, not to mention traipse around Vale dealing with the White Fang. They couldn't all have nice cushy jobs doing whatever it was Vincent and Uncle Qrow did. It only occurred to her then that her Uncle really did have a vague job. Eh, whatever. If she could accept Vincent's weirdness, she could do the same with Qrow's.

 _I'm not usually one for patience, though,_ she thought, recalling the limited information Vincent had for her. For the most part it came down to his organisation – whatever they were – not having anything yet, but not wanting her to think they'd forgotten about their deal. There had been the warning of keeping quiet, of course, and the possibility that someone high up – maybe even Council level – was working with the White Fang. Wasn't much she could do about that and it felt frustratingly like they were back at square one, trying to prove they needed to exist. They might not have had the two day deadline but it felt similar.

"Do you have any idea what we're doing?" Roman asked.

Yang shrugged. "Nope."

"So we're just _driving around_ hoping the White Fang are going to pop out with their latest scheme."

"Pretty much." It sounded bad but there was little else they could do. "The only thing we know from Blue Sky is that someone was able to sneak in disguised as the CEO, and that they stole the recipe for the Middivale drugs. I've got no idea where we go from there. What about you?"

"Nothing," he said, sighing. "It just occurred to me why the previous Captains were from police backgrounds."

"Yeah. They may not have been able to get any evidence with you guys, but they'd have known what to do with it. I'm a huntress."

"In training," Roman sniped.

"Still kicked your ass on multiple occasions."

He grumbled something under his breath but didn't respond. Yang chalked up a win in her favour on an imaginary chalkboard. Roman did have a point, though. She didn't know beans about being an officer, which hadn't been a major problem thus far but now that she needed to do some actual detective work it was going to cause issues. _This is probably where all that `due process` stuff comes in. I wish I knew what that was._

An idea came to her. "Hey, I don't suppose you know any detectives, do you?"

"Me? A crook?" Roman didn't look her way, keeping his eyes on the road, but he shrugged. "I know the names of some I knew I had to keep away from, and a few who were out gunning for me. Why?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of criminal ones."

"Criminal detectives…"

"Yeah, don't you have those? Say a crime deal goes wrong and some powerful group wants to know what happened…?" Yang trailed off. His silence was telling. The way he rolled his eyes didn't help. "Hey, come on. I'm not actually a criminal so I've got no idea how you all work."

"We don't have detectives for one. I suppose a private investigator would be hired if that became an issue, but we'd need a budget to try and hire one and I'm not sure what kind of schmuck would be desperate enough to accept a commission from people like us. It's not a bad thought," he admitted, "but I doubt a private investigator can help much here. We'd need someone _really_ tenacious if we wanted to trust them to dig deep into the White Fang. It would need to be someone with a real personal drive."

"Personal?"

"Not your cat-friend," Roman sighed. "Please…"

"I wasn't thinking of her." Not so soon after she'd just arrested her. She hadn't heard from Ruby or the others yet about that, but it had only been a day. Maybe Glynda – and it still felt weird to call her by her first name – had proven as good as her word and told them all not to bother her. It was doubtful, not because she doubted Glynda's intent but more because she knew her team. They were all too stubborn to be warned off something just like that.

"Forget it," Yang said. "It was just an idea. I thought a detective would be able to give us some advice on how to use what evidence we have."

"They might. You got any police contacts yet? We could ask a precinct for help, though you'd have to be careful on whom. It's going to make us look incompetent so we'd need that to not travel back up to the Council."

Yang hummed in agreement. There were a few names she could remember, Mira Ash being one, but also that Redcliff guy who had insulted them at the Council building. She didn't know or trust either of them enough, and they didn't have any reason to help the VSPR in return. Were they really going to have to wait on Vincent Saint-Sinclair and his mysterious organisation for help? She didn't like the sound of that. It made them too vulnerable.

 _It's kind of a repeat of what Uncle Qrow said before, about how I have to take risks and find the solution myself and not wait for other people to do it for me._ That had been a problem of Team RWBY, she realised. They might have had one or two instances of pro-activeness, their attempts to find the White Fang an example, but for the most part they'd done nothing but react.

Blake goes missing – chase her down, stumble upon the White Fang and fight them. Go to Mountain Glenn, stumble on the White Fang and fight them. Cinder attacks Beacon, the White Fang stumble on them, and they fight them…

Even the one time they'd gone out of their way to _find_ the White Fang, it had pretty much just been luck and Blake being recognised that ended up with Roman's Paladin being taken out. She had to wonder if they could have done more in other ways if they hadn't just sat around waiting for things to happen. Even Ruby and the CCT had been because Ruby `happened` to notice something suspicious. It wasn't because they'd been actively trying to stop the bad guys.

 _I guess we had the excuse of being students at the time and having school work, but still… we were more excited about the festival than we were on stopping the White Fang. We all but forgot about them after the breach, where we should have been at our most concerned._ Seriously, how had they gone from standing by as Roman and the White Fang tried to release Grimm into the city to completely forgetting about it and having fun at the festival? Not even _Blake_ had pushed for them to chase after the White Fang. They'd just randomly ignored the whole thing like it never happened.

Hindsight was 20-20 as they said. There wasn't much she could do about it now other than learn from the mistake.

The White Fang weren't going to come running out of the street and into their-

Roman cursed and tyres screeched. Yang gasped – and then gasped again when someone collapsed over their bonnet, face pressed into the windscreen not three inches from our own. The squashed and uncomfortable face removed itself with a sound like a suction cup being removed, before the figure slumped off and fell to the road in front of their car.

Yang stared at Roman in horror.

"You hit someone," she gasped.

"He hit the car."

"What kind of distinction is that!?"

People had begun to crowd on the streets nearby. Yang and Roman opened their doors at the same time and rushed around to look at the figure. It was a young man between the ages of sixteen and eighteen and wearing a hoodie. He had it pulled up despite the warm weather, and oddly enough he had a brown leather handbag beside him.

"My bag!" a woman cried. "Thief. Stop that thie-oh." The woman, middle-aged and out of breath, paused as she saw the two officers stood over the very much not running thief. "Um. Never mind, I guess?"

"Is this your bag, ma'am?" Roman asked, quickly snatching it up and holding it out for her. "We saw the commotion and decided to step in. All in a day's work for the VSPR. That's the VSPR, mind you. If you see fit to sing the praised of us on social media later I'd prefer you remember _who_ helped you."

Yang wanted to throttle him. A day's work, indeed. They'd almost run down the suspect and hadn't even realised he was one until now.

"T-Torchwick," the woman gasped. She snatched her bag and held it against her chest. "Thief!" she accused. "Monster, evil man!" She swung the bag against his chest. It didn't do much but she was nothing if not determined and continued to do it.

Roman sighed and looked to Yang with a flat expression. It wasn't the kind of look that asked for help, but rather suggested if this wasn't dealt with then _he'd_ deal with it, and that she might not appreciate the results.

She stepped in with a sigh, catching the woman's bag on the umpteenth swing. "Excuse me, ma'am. I'll have to ask you to stop. Though he was a thief he is now a police officer, and he did just reclaim your property for you."

"You defend him?" the woman howled. She tugged on the bag angrily. "You're as bad as him! Why, back in my day-"

"ARGHHH!"

The high-pitched scream cut through the woman's words. She flinched, even as Yang spun around to see if they were under attack. Her eyes twitched as she saw Roman glance up from the suspect, who was now cradling his leg. Roman held both hands up as if to say he didn't do anything, but still had his foot on the teen's knee.

"He tried to run," he said.

"What did you just do?"

"I incapacitated him."

"My leg!" the boy cried.

Yang's frown turned deadly. "Roman!"

"I-I'll just leave," the woman from before stammered, suddenly looking far less intent on beating either of them with her handbag. She continued to look back as she ran away. No thanks for saving her handbag, of course. Not when the general populace thought they were a team of insane psychopaths.

And Roman was hardly helping her image acting like this!

"You can't just do that," Yang hissed, keeping her voice low. "There are people watching us. We need to show restraint and respect!"

"Didn't we just run him over?"

"No, _he_ ran us over."

"You said that wasn't a good distinction earlier," he pointed out.

She wanted to punch the smile off his smug face. She pushed past him instead and crouched by the teen. He might have been her age or older but looked much younger cradling his leg and glaring up at her.

"Okay, what was that all about?" she asked.

"Fuck you!"

She rolled her eyes. "Not in your wildest dreams, bucko. Look, I'm fairly new to the whole being a police officer thing so forgive me if I'm not very good at it. That said, I'm fairly sure you just stole from that lady and that's illegal."

"That's rich coming from you," he whimpered. "You're working with Roman Torchwick!"

"Okay, _you_ of all people don't get to criticise me. Not since you've literally just been caught breaking the law. I'll take old ladies being aggressive but not people like you." Seriously, it was like the whole city hated her team – which, to be fair, they did. Still, there was a line between the average person on the street complaining about it and a criminal himself.

Plus, would everyone stop assuming _she_ was somehow just as guilty as they? It was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Alright, Roman, throw him in the back of the car – nicely," she added, suddenly aware of just how badly her instructions might be misconstrued. "We'll take him back to HQ with us and contact the normal police to take him. What's your name, kid?"

"Mark."

"Okay, we'll take him straight _to_ the police, then." It was bad enough with one Mark. She wasn't having two. "Everyone else back away," she called, leaving Roman to it as she walked over to usher the onlookers off. "Carry on your business, ladies and gentlemen. There's nothing to see here. Move along."

"Did you run him over?" someone asked.

"Did he just break that boy's leg?"

"Is that police brutality?"

"Wait, isn't she the girl that broke that poor boy's leg in the tournament?"

Yang scowled and waved them away. Poor boy, huh… Mercury was going to get it for that, even if it was only partially his fault. _I really need to find a way to explain that. Couldn't Ozpin have let people know I was framed or something?_

By the time she'd convinced the crowd to leave – still muttering as they were – Roman had gotten their newest prisoner into the back of the patrol car. The teen banged angrily on the window but luckily for their ears there was a dividing partition which cut out all noise, so aside from a dull thumping they didn't have to listen to the guy shouting at them.

"Ah, the satisfying feeling of a job well done." Roman said, sitting next to her in the car. "It's wonderful, don't you think, boss?"

"Roman…"

"Hm?"

"It's only the fact I can't drive a manual with one hand that prevents me sharing my full thoughts with you right now."

He grinned. "Lust?"

"I'm lusting to do something to you, yes."

"You realise that I could kick your ass, right," he said. "I mean, I could before but now you only have one arm so it would just be easier."

"You realise I can dangle prison over the twin's heads, right?" she mimicked. "I can have them, Junior, Mercury, and Neo kick your ass for me."

He chuckled. "Touché. You know, there's not much we can do about our image," he said as he pulled the car back out into the road. "No matter what good we do we're always going to be tarred by the fact our members are the very people responsible for crashing the Vytal Festival. A few good deeds aren't going to wash that away."

"No, but we can at least _try_ not to look like psychopaths at every opportunity."

"You're just upset that woman accused you of being as bad as me."

"Yes," she agreed. "Yes, I am. I'm a perfectly law-abiding citizen of Vale, not to mention a huntress-in-training. People on the street shouldn't be trying to hit me with their handbags."

"Eh, I'm a dangerous murderer," Roman said. "They really shouldn't be trying to hit _me_ with a handbag, either. What can you do? People are stupid. Take this idiot behind me as a perfect example." He jerked a thumb towards their passenger. "I mean, if you're going to rob someone then you don't do it in the middle of the day and you don't steal an entire handbag. There's one thing in there he wanted, the rest is just pointless."

"Are you seriously critiquing his methods?" Roman made to respond but she cut him off. "No, never mind. Just get us to the nearest police station so we can drop him off."

"We could take him to ours."

"If we do, you're handling the paperwork."

"Nearest station it is."

Yang sighed and leaned back in her seat. It wasn't what she'd been hoping for but it was better than nothing and at least they'd actually _done_ something instead of sit back and wait. She'd just need to make sure whatever force she handed the kid over to marked it down as the VSPR having caught him.

 _Though petty theft isn't what our charter is supposed to be,_ she mused. They were supposed to be dealing with dangerous situations the normal police weren't suited for, specifically the White Fang. The thief wasn't a faunus, nor was he wearing a mask. He was just an idiot out for some easy money and not caring who he hurt to get it.

The VSPR needed something bigger. They needed Vincent to come through, or failing that they needed to find the White Fang themselves. How, when they had so little information to go on, she wasn't sure. Finding someone who knew more about following leads and investigating people was still their best bet.

The radio on the dashboard crackled suddenly to life.

" _Calling units Vale Sector 1-C. Disturbance in progress Vale Central Bank, back-up requested. Repeat, Vale Central Bank, Sector 1-C. Back up requested immediately. All available cars divert and converge on immediate location."_

Yang and Roman shared a quick look.

"What sector are we in?" Yang asked.

The car accelerated. "We're approaching Sector 1-B." Roman put his foot down.

"Roman…"

"They're technically asking for _normal_ police," he tried.

"Roman…"

"I'm just saying we don't _have_ to respond to it if we don't want to."

Yang raised an eyebrow.

Roman sighed and flipped on the sirens, turning the car around. "Always on my patrol," he complained. "For the love of dust…"

/-/

The Vale Central Bank, which wasn't actually central to anything and had over forty branches, was already surrounded by police by the time they arrived. The police were in turn surrounded by civilians, who had so little common sense that they gawped and gaped at what was quite obviously a dangerous situation. Roman pulled their squad car up behind a crowd, and Yang pushed through the onlookers, many with their scrolls out recording events, to reach the police line.

One of the officers there had his arms out and was holding back civilians. He took one look at her and his eyes crossed, but the sight of Roman Torchwick was enough to jostle his memory. "Oh Gods," he said. "Not the VSPR. Anyone but them…"

"The Gods are out," Yang said, ducking under his arm. "Leave a message after the tone." She pushed through and up to a man in uniform who appeared to nominally be in charge, if only because he was shouting orders to someone else. "What's going on here?" she asked.

"Who the fuck are-?" The man turned. His eyes narrowed. "Oh no," he said. "No way. Not happening. I'm not letting a bunch of criminals and crooks take over this operation. Not over my dead body. You two can just do a one-eighty and march your way out of here."

Yang's eye twitched. She wanted nothing more than to knock him out and ask who was in charge next. It might even be her. She didn't though, if only because it would have been a stupid idea and everyone would have seen. "We're not here to take over anything," she said. "We got a radio requesting backup. That's what we're here for. What's the situation?"

"The situation is _that_ ," the man said, nodding to the bank. "Robbery turned hostage situation once someone raised the alarm. Unknown perps locked up inside with an unknown number of hostages; some employees, others public." He paused to yell a warning to some officers not to get too close lest they spook the people inside. "Bloody idiots, I swear. Anyway, we've got no idea who, why, or what they want from us. I've not even had a demand offered yet."

"Isn't it Vale's policy not to negotiate with people like this?" she asked.

"Sure, but that's not exactly a good opening line to a hostage situation. When they ask for someone or they'll kill people, you don't just say `no`. Not unless you want to start a bloodbath." The man sighed and pulled off his helmet, revealing a middle-aged man with greying hair. "Grey Sullivan," he introduced. "I'm in charge here."

"Yang Xiao-Long," she said, shaking his hand. "I guess you know Roman."

"Oh, I know him alright," Grey said, shooting the unapologetic thief an evil glower. He sighed and turned back to her. "Look, I get that you're here and that's all well and good but the last thing we need is your kind of justice kicking in."

"My kind of justice?"

"Huntress and Huntsman justice," he explained. She was vaguely surprised he meant that and not _her_ or the VSPR in particular. Still, what was wrong with huntsmen? "This is a delicate situation. If you go rushing in to try and beat these people down, you'll manage it. You'll also get all the hostages killed."

Were huntsmen really like that? Well… there was the one time with the Paladin and the traffic. Yang wasn't sure if it was the same thing but she already had a new appreciation for how much damage that could have caused. Enough so that she let the man off his obvious dislike of them.

"I understand," she said. "What do you want us to do?"

He seemed surprised. "Willing to listen to me? I half expected you to knock me out and rush in like idiots and start tearing the place up."

"I'd never consider such a thing," she lied.

"Hm. Maybe you're not as bad as the Captain said. Captain Redcliff," he explained when she looked confused. "He warned the whole force about you, said you and your lot are a law unto yourselves and don't care for collateral damage."

Yang blinked. "I don't think we've even caused any."

Roman coughed meaningfully. "Middivale…" He coughed again. "Blue Sky…"

Oh, right… they had kind of burst through a wall of the Middivale facility… and now that she thought about it she'd told Junior to shoot at a manufacturing plant, and then splattered toxic gunk around the entire place – and that was before she'd had the Malachites set explosives on Blue Sky and rampage through their halls. Her cheeks coloured.

"There might be a little truth to that," she admitted. "But we're focused on reducing that if possible and we never resort to such measures unless they're necessary. We tend to deal with the White Fang, so a little more force is required."

"A little more force? Missy, I've read the reports."

Yang coughed and looked away.

"Well, it hardly matters here. Look, I don't care what beef you have with my Captain. My job is to make this this doesn't go up in smoke and that means keeping our distance for now. You two can stay, but you're under my command if you do. Got it?"

Yang looked to Roman for his opinion but the taller man simply shrugged and left it to her. In the end, she nodded. "That's fine with me. We just showed up to help." When he didn't immediately reject the offer, she dared to go a little deeper. "Do you know who the suspects are?"

"We've no idea. The alarm was raised but we've been unable to make contact with anyone inside. While it's possible a few customers managed to flee, we've not heard from them and they might have run all the way home. The robbers closed the doors afterwards and we've seen no concrete forms of identification." He nodded to the building. "I've had my boys try to access the security feeds but just about everything is down. The place is running on back-up power only."

"They cut the power?" Roman asked. "That's a little amateur."

"I suppose you'd be the expert on robbing a bank, Roman," Yang said. "Why not fill us in?"

Roman rolled his eyes at the quip but entertained the request. "When you're breaking into a place like this you're thinking of your objective," he said. "You're here for cold cash, codes, ID or some other form of digital currency. You cause as little disturbance as you can and you try to avoid _this_ by all means. Cutting the power? That's a clear way to alert everyone to a problem, plus it doesn't achieve anything. No bank worth its dust is going to have a vault door that springs open the moment the power is gone, and every person inside will have a scroll. It's not like cutting the power stops them raising the alarm."

"So, the question is why they'd do something that doesn't have a purpose." Yang said. "They're either after something else by cutting the power… or they're amateurs."

"Doesn't change much," Grey said. "Amateurs are the most dangerous kind of crook."

"True," Roman agreed. "I left very few bodies in my wake. A good thief doesn't need to kill anyone. It's bad for business."

"These ones haven't killed anyone yet," Yang said. A flash of worry shot through her when the officer didn't immediately respond. "Have they?"

"We just don't know. There have been no demands from within and that's just suspicious. It could be that they don't want to negotiate but it could be that something went wrong and they're nervous. Right now, I'm trying not to spook them into making any more mistakes." He rolled his eyes. "Or at least as best I can with an army of police officers surrounding the place."

"Sir!" someone cried, startling the three of them. "Sir, you need to see this!"

"Get over here, Smithson." Grey dragged a uniformed officer over, a young man probably less than a year older than her. "What have you got for me?"

The boy nodded and unrolled a map on the floor. On second inspection it wasn't a map at all but a diagram layout of the building, with lines showing where the individual rooms were. The boy pointed to one. "The snipers spotted hostages in this room, sir, at least twelve of them. There are two guards watching them, one inside and one outside the room. There's a clear shot but we've got no idea if more are kept elsewhere."

"Snipers?" Yang asked, recalling his instructions to _not_ cause a scene.

"Recon," he replied. "They won't be shooting at anything." He looked to the boy. "What about the exterior-facing offices?"

"Empty, sir. The suspects must have retreated further inside to avoid any gunfire. We weren't able to see past the vault. There are definitely no hostages in the foyer."

Grey grunted. "Okay, get back in position. Await my instructions."

"You're planning a raid," Yang said. There was no other reason why he'd want to know what state the surrounding rooms were in. They were all clear entry points, and knowing specifically where the hostages – or at least some of them – were kept would let the police get to them first.

"I'm considering the possibility," Grey countered. "As is my job. We don't know if there are more hostages deeper in, but unless these guys are idiots I expect there will be. Bursting in the front door or even saving these people isn't going to be enough. We'd have to fight our way deeper and deal with any other innocents en route."

"We could help."

He eyed them warily.

"I'm just saying that we," she gestured to her and Roman, "are both huntress and huntsman trained. If it's going to turn into a fire fight in an enclosed space, then who better to lead the charge? We're also the only ones who'll be able to break through a dead lock and rescue any hostages."

"You think I don't realise that?"

"It would also mean _we_ would take any fire before your men," Roman added.

"Tempting…" He held their gaze for a moment and sighed. "Better the devil you know, I suppose. Fine, but you're going to follow our plan. If I can't stop you taking part, I'll at least limit the damage you cause."

Yang winced. "That really is an exaggeration, you know."

"Didn't you fire a dust missile at a chemical vat?"

There really was no coming back from that.

"You know, if you're so worried there _is_ another option," Roman said. "It would reduce the risk of anything going wrong, plus it wouldn't put any of your people at risk. Win-win all around."

"Negotiation?" Grey guessed. "I told you, I'm willing to try that if they are, or at least to humour them. If I can diffuse this I will but I can't force them to open communications and my last attempt to hail them nearly earned me a bullet."

"I wasn't thinking of that, my man. I was actually thinking of something a little more… sneaky…"

The two shared a long look, during which it seemed some hidden messages passed between them. As one, they both turned to look at her. Yang's brow furrowed, but even her fiercest glare couldn't quite hide the sudden panic she felt.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

/-/

In a room filled with hostages, two men with balaclavas stood stiffly, guns in hand. Many of those in the room had their heads down, afraid to meet the eyes of their captors lest they somehow come across as challenging. Many were shaking or holding on to one another and one or two had bruises from where they'd tried to resist or just protect their loved ones. A security guard was unconscious in the corner, bleeding from a wound to the head yet still tied up.

A sudden clang echoed from an adjoining room. The two men raised their weapons, suddenly alert, and the hostages crouched lower, afraid. When there was no follow-up, either of violence or gunfire, the man on the left gestured for the other to check the room. The second looked reluctant but did so after a second's pause. He crept forward, weapon aimed towards the door. The bathroom, a woman's bathroom, seemed now eerily quiet.

Cautiously, he nudged the door with the barrel of his gun.

As the door swung open, a sorry sight confronted him. There, on the floor, was a young woman not eighteen years of age with long blonde hair. She was rubbing her head, like she'd fallen and banged her head. She wore a pair of blue trousers and a black tank-top, and the most distinguishing thing about her was the fact she only had one arm.

There was also the grill to a vent entrance beside her feet.

"What was it?" the first robber called.

"Just another rat," the second replied. "Looks like we missed one of them when we rounded 'em up. This one just tried to sneak out through the vents. Must have hidden herself in the toilets." He pointed the gun at the girl. "Get out here, brat. You can sit with the rest of the chaff."

The girl mumbled something under her breath. It didn't sound pleasant and he thought he heard something about torches and how she was going to kill them. He scowled and prodded her with the barrel of his gun again, just to get the point across.

"No talking. Get in here and sit down. Keep your head low and you might yet live through this. Oi!" He gripped the girl by her hair and dragged her up onto her feet. "You listening!?"

"Release. The hair."

"Cheeky shit." He pushed her into the room among the others and kicked her legs out from under her. She landed hard but didn't make a sound of protest. In fact, her eyes seemed to bore into his, and he quickly trotted back to his companion, a little intimidated.

Now at the back of the hostages and nursing her sore scalp, Yang scowled.

"This is what I get for trying to be helpful…"

* * *

 **There we go. Not much to say here as I'm super-busy at the moment with work. Argh.**

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 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**Another late chapter due to this work event, though only late in the sense of time. I try to be fairly regular with when exactly I upload, but this event has taken a lot of my time. I can't wait for it to be over, lol. Anyway, here we go with the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Thatrandom

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

Yang kept her head low and tried not to draw attention to herself. It wasn't difficult given that the two men guarding the hostages were more focused on the police outside than they were their charges, but she stayed still regardless. Two men, both with guns, and a whole lot of unarmed civilians, none of which likely had their auras unlocked. While she knew she could take the two of them out without any difficulty she wasn't sure that would be before they fired off some shots – and that wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

 _Funny how things were always easier in Beacon,_ she thought grimly. Even when they'd faced the White Fang or Roman, there hadn't ever been an abundance of civilians involved. Not until the festival anyway, but Atlas had seen to evacuating and protecting those, saving them the job. It wasn't a pleasant feeling knowing you were good enough to stop the bad guys but knowing you couldn't for risk of getting others hurt.

It wasn't a good feeling at all…

The men wore balaclavas and thick padded jackets but weren't people she recognised, which didn't say much since the only thing she would have recognised was a white mask. Either way they weren't White Fang and those terrorists probably wouldn't have seen much point in robbing a bank anyway. These were just regular crooks, though no less dangerous for it. In any other situation she'd have preferred to keep herself out of it, but this was her job now. Besides, something like this would look good for the VSPR.

 _As long as the news agencies don't gloss over us being the ones responsible for helping like last time,_ she grumbled. What was the point of them working their asses off if they didn't get recognised for it? They'd found the Fang Virus, stopped it, and then let the Council warn everyone. It pissed her off that the politicians were claiming themselves as the victors.

One of the men before her pulled a walkie-talkie up to his mouth. "Check in. Hostages clear."

There was a faint buzz as it activated.

" _Vault clear."_

" _Foyer clear."_

" _VIP clear."_

The man nodded and lowered the device and started talking to his companion. Yang took the chance available to shimmy over and nudge a nearby man, a bank worker judging by his uniform, with her arm.

"What are they talking about?" she asked.

The young man looked nervous as all hell and she wasn't sure he would answer for a moment. He shot their guards some frightened looks but when no punishment came he hesitantly replied. "T-They have more people in the bank. There's a team watching the foyer and main entrance, one in the vault, and then another which took some of the more hostages to a different set of offices."

"Other hostages?"

"Managers and Directors," he whispered, "as well as a wealthy client. They're the VIP hostages."

Damn it. That wasn't good. They'd split the hostages in two which meant if Grey and Roman struck as planned, they'd only be able to rescue this lot – potentially putting the others at risk. The check-in with the guards was probably to make sure they knew everyone was still in one piece, and it would probably be done every few minutes, meaning that if they wanted to save both sets they'd have to strike all but simultaneously.

"Where are they being kept?" she asked.

The teller looked like he wasn't sure why she was asking. She couldn't tell him she was police in case he panicked and alerted the guards. Even if he was just an innocent hostage there was a chance he would try and secure his own freedom at the expense of hers.

"They're on the upper floor," he said, "behind and above the main foyer in the managerial offices. I don't know where exactly. Why?"

"No reason." She pushed away from him, knowing he wouldn't dare follow for fear of alerting himself to their captors. As she did she thumbed the miniature microphone hidden on her collar, turning it off. She'd have to hope Grey caught the conversation and could think up a plan. Since the thing only went one-way, she'd have to wing it. With that in mind, Yang did the possibly stupidest thing she could.

She stood up.

The two men responded instantly, spinning on the spot to point their weapons at her. One made to shout but she beat him to it, throwing her hand down as she yelled at him.

"Why are you doing this to us!?"

"Get down!" he snarled.

"No!" She stomped a foot. "What did we ever do to you?"

"Stupid brat. Get down or I'll shoot you."

The walkie-talkie buzzed. _"Check – we heard a disturbance. What's going on?"_

The first man growled and took out the device, nodding for the second to keep his gun pointed directly at Yang's chest. "Checking in, all clear. Just got some stupid little chit whining about being a hostage." He glowered at her and smiled cruelly. "Don't suppose we need to make an example of someone, do we? I think I've found us a volunteer."

" _Don't kill anyone. We need the hostages alive."_

They did? Why would they need hostages if they hadn't made any demands of the police? Bargaining chips were only useful so long as you tried to bargain.

"You sure I can't rough her up a bit?"

" _I'm sure. Control yourself."_

Yang grinned at the message. It was what she'd waited to hear. She took a step forward and stared down the man pointing his gun at her. She tried for the whiniest voice she could. "Let me go! I don't want to be here!"

"Sit the fuck down!"

"NO!"

" _Check in!"_

"All clear, damn it. It's the same bloody issue."

" _Ugh, fine. Take her to the upper levels. More guards there and someone can shut her up. If not, I'm sure one less hostage won't be that big a deal."_

The man chuckled darkly. "Got it." he stuffed the device away and stormed forward, terrified hostages pushing out of the way as he reached for her. "You've done it now, bitch. Should have just kept quiet."

Yang cried out as he gripped her by the stump of her arm and pulled her aside. As she did, and as her hair fell across her face, she activated the microphone once more. "Where are you taking me? What's going on!?"

"Quit your whining. You want to act like a princess you can sit with the others." He gave her a cuff about the face. It felt like a tap and would have normally earned a roll of the eyes, but since she was supposed to be the weak little girl in front of the nasty-nasty criminal, she threw her head to the side and gasped.

It was enough to fool him, anyway.

"Keep watch over this lot while I take her upstairs," the criminal said.

The other balked. "On my own?"

"What, you afraid they're going to swarm you or something? You're the one with the gun. Man up." He tugged Yang along behind him and pushed the door open. "I'll be gone two minutes tops. Just hold the fort until then."

"But the police-"

"Won't do a damn thing. Not while we've got the hostages upstairs."

"The police will save us," Yang yelled – making sure to be as loud as possible. "And they'll save those upstairs too. I bet they're ready to do that even now! I bet they'll be ready at the drop of a hat!"

"Ha. Fat chance."

The man dragged her out of the room and made sure to tug hardly on her severed limb, earning an honest gasp for once as she almost stumbled. He laughed at her displeasure and hauled her into the foyer, from which she could see the large glass doors looking out onto a street filled not only with police but also news crews and members of the public, all watching from a safe distance.

The foyer itself was a large and open one with two marble pillars offset from the centre and several aisles leading up to wooden teller's desks, all of which were empty. Behind that was a large vault, the steel door half-open. Handbags and other stuff littered the floor, dropped by hostages when they'd been taken. There were two staircases leading up to the second floor and he dragged her over to one, pulling her up the steps. At the top she saw four people with guns watching from a balcony over the main entrance. They had no hostages but a commanding view of any officer who tried to approach the entrance.

There wasn't much time to see more as Yang was taken behind and down a corridor that led through some back offices and private rooms.

Eventually they reached a corridor which was occupied, two criminals in matching balaclavas outside a room with a glass door. They saw her captor approaching and shook their heads, lowering their weapons.

"Is this the girl?" the first asked, and she recognised the voice as the one from the walkie-talkie.

"No, I just dragged a random girl here," her captor said, pushing her forward and releasing her. "Of course it is. Found her trying to escape through the vents then has the lack of sense to stand up and try to challenge us. Figured that since I can't just kill her and you don't want me to knock her out, you'd know better what to do."

"Sure." The man took hold of her by her good arm, somewhat more gently than the first, and tugged her up to him. "You're a pretty thing, I suppose," he said, without any real interest.

"What do you want from us? My father is rich," she lied. "He can pay whatever you want for a ransom."

The three men laughed. "If it were money we wanted we'd have more than enough with our other hostage," he said. "No, my dear. We aren't in this for something as _petty_ as lien."

Then why were they robbing a bank?

Yang didn't have the time to ask, for the man pushed her through the door and into the room. There were less people there, only four or so, and most of those were tied up and laid on the floor, the only one of which who wasn't sat on her knees with two rifles aimed at either side of her head. Yang saw what they'd meant about money instantly, especially considering whom it was they'd captured.

Weiss stared back at her, mouth agape.

"Yang!?"

Everyone froze. It was a moment of shock – and not just from her. Thoughts of how they'd caught _Weiss_ of all people warred with the realisation that this wasn't a simple robbery, not at all. That same moment was one in which the men with her suddenly froze.

"The Schnee knows-?" The man beside her stared at Yang, the eyes behind the balaclava widening. "It's a Huntre-oof!" The grip he'd had on her wrist reversed and she slammed his own fist into his stomach, breaking it at the same time and snapping out of his grip, even as the other crook gasped and tried to bring his weapon to bear.

"Drop the hat!" Yang screamed.

An explosion shook the building. The floor rocking the floor and causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Shouts came from below, followed by loud bangs and flashes of light, and then sudden gunfire. Yang twisted and ducked, sweeping one foot low and kicking the man's legs out from under him.

"Kill her!" one next to Weiss yelled, and lifted his gun to take aim at Yang.

That left the heiress free, however. Even with her hands bound behind her back, the white-haired huntress threw herself back and kicked up and behind her, bringing both heels up into the groin of the man still holding a gun to her, but who had taken his eyes away to stare at the one-armed huntress among them. He gasped and crumpled, his finger squeezing the trigger and firing instinctively. Weiss cried out in pain, even if the shot didn't penetrate skin or draw blood. There was a vicious bruise on her leg.

The scream was enough to turn Yang's eyes red. She stabbed her fist into the other man's stomach, crumpling him over, and then used the stump of her arm to adjust the aim of his weapon as he pulled the trigger – spraying bullets through the glass window behind her and sending the man who'd brought her upstairs diving for cover.

Her knee came up once, twice, and a third time into her target's chest, and on the third strike he crumpled, arms falling slack at his side. She quickly looked for the one Weiss had knocked down but found the heiress on top of him, hands still tied but using one knee to choke the air from him until he fell unconscious.

She turned to Yang once that was done. "There are other hostages!" she gasped. "We need to-"

"I know. The police are on them." She ignored Weiss' relief and dashed back into the hall. The bastard who'd dragged her around by her stump fired two shots in her direction and she ducked one and batted the other away with her hand, aura flaring and her skin bruising. The pain gave her the strength she needed to close the distance and grip him by his collar.

"Damn bit-" He cut off with a cry as she slammed her forehead into his nose, breaking it in one go.

"That's _sir_ to you," she snapped. She pushed him into a wall to stun him, then reeled back and broke his jaw with one solid punch. He slumped to the ground and didn't move. Just for good measure, she spat on him. "No one touches the stump, bastard."

Weiss was waiting inside when she returned. She was on her side, trying to get the plastic bands off her wrists. She paused when Yang appeared, then sighed in relief when the ex-huntress reached down and snapped the bands in two.

"I'm glad you're here," Weiss panted. "I had no idea what I was going to do…"

"You're glad I'm here? What are you even doing here?" Yang scowled. "Don't tell me you're pulling a Blake, Weiss. I'd expect Ruby to jump in and try to stop a robbery mid-progress, not you. I thought you were meant to be the smart one."

"W-What!?" Weiss gasped. "I wasn't here on purpose, you idiot. I was trying to check my bank statement!"

Yang paused and felt herself deflate. "Oh…"

"Oh, indeed, you… you… argh!" Weiss staggered to her feet and rubbed her sore wrists. "Like I'd be up here held hostage if I had a choice in the matter. Those guys burst in and started firing. I wanted to take them out, but they took some people hostage and threatened to kill them if I didn't surrender. There was nothing I could do."

"And they dragged you up here?"

"They wanted me away from the other hostages so I wouldn't try anything," she confirmed. "They knew if I tried to break free I could, but that I wouldn't dare if I knew all those people downstairs would be killed." Weiss' frown faded, and she bit her lip. "You're sure they're okay?"

"They're fine, Weiss. The room was being watched by snipers and there were only two guards. I kept one busy bringing me here and signalled the raid to start." The sniper would have dealt with the guard, and could probably keep the room locked down until Grey and his units got to the hostages. From there it would be a simple clean-up of the opposition that was left. "It's pretty much over now. These crooks are done for."

Weiss disagreed. "You don't understand – they're not just criminals, Yang!" She pushed forward and towards the first man on the ground and tore off his balaclava.

A bone white mask faced them.

"Why would someone wear a mask under a balaclava?"

"I don't know how these people think!" Weiss snapped. "But this isn't a robbery and if the White Fang wanted to make a statement they'd have tried to kill me. I _am_ a Schnee, after all. If they're not here for that and they're not here for me, then what are they here for? Why rob a bank if not for money?"

Because they wanted something else – and nothing related to what exactly was in the bank. That didn't make sense though. If they wanted to take over somewhere like they had with Middivale then why make it one of the most well-known banks in the middle of Vale? They couldn't have drawn more attention to themselves and every police officer in the sector was bearing down on the location right now.

Every single one of them…

Yang's eyes widened. "Shit."

"What-?"

"Look after these hostages," Yang snapped, pushing a gun into Weiss' hand. "Don't let anyone but the police in." She didn't stay to hear Weiss' response but instead dashed out back down the halls. There was something going on here and they already had all the hostages safe – but those weren't even the terrorist's main objective. If it wasn't that and it wasn't money... then why had they forced the vault in the main foyer open? Why did they have a team in the vault?

Yang broke out onto the main balcony in time to see black-suited officers down below shooting up at the White Fang on the higher ground. A grenade flew and exploded, bathing the area in white light and causing spots to dance in her vision. She ducked low and charged forward, however, recalling roughly where they'd been. By the time her vision cleared she was already upon them.

One fell before he could realise the danger – her knee striking the back of his head and cracking his face against the marble column he'd been hiding behind. The second turned to face her – cried out a warning – but fell when an explosive round hit the wall behind him, detonating and spraying shrapnel into his body. Aura flared but he wasn't as trained as they and couldn't maintain it. He fell gripping his side and groaning in agony.

The third held up his hands as police stormed up the stairs, Grey in the lead with a submachine gun in hand. "Down! Down! Down!" he yelled. When the terrorist wasn't fast enough to comply he surged forward and drove him down with one foot. Two others rushed up to handcuff him. The officer's eyes met hers. "We got the message," he said. "Hostages secured. Tell me you got yours."

"I got them," she said. "There's a huntress back there standing guard. Call that you're police before you enter or your boys will regret it."

Grey nodded and motioned silently with one hand. Four officers surged down the corridor he indicated, checking rooms with their guns and kicking open doors as they went. As a unit they were disciplined and confident, and down below she could make out more fanning out to take cover and watch over the vault. Some were escorting terrified hostages out, pushing the civilian's heads down and covering them with their bodies as they rushed them outside and into the waiting hands of police and ambulances.

"More of the bastards in the vault but we've got them pinned down. Once the hostages are out we'll breach and finish this off." He sent her a grudging nod. "Good job sneaking in. You're not half bad at this."

Yang shook her head. "We don't have time to stand around celebrating. They're White Fang."

His face hardened. "You're sure?"

"Masks and everything," she said, "and they're doing something in the vault, something we need to stop _now_."

Grey cursed and turned away to shout out orders to his teams, but there was a voice that cut him off, Roman staggering up the staircase while holding his bowler hat to his head. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by what might actually have been panic.

"We have a problem!" he yelled. "A real big problem."

"White Fang?" Yang asked. "Yeah, we know."

"Yeah well, that's one thing, Captain. The other is this." Roman brought out a strange object, something that was black in colour and bulky. It looked like a mixture of leather, glass, and metal. "Each of those idiots we just took down had one of these and I doubt they're for decoration." He held it out and stretched it, so they could see better.

It was a full-face gas mask.

"MASKS ON!" Grey screamed. "Masks, masks, masks!" He pulled his down over his head, hiding his face and with his eyes visible only through the round plexiglass frames. "Shit, the hostages are still too close. Robbs, Marcus, get them out _now_! This isn't a robbery – it's a terrorist attack." He grabbed his collar and stepped away, shouting orders into his collar for the people outside to move further away.

Roman tossed the mask to Yang before she could say anything. "I picked up another," he said, slipping his own on. "Can't say the gimp look suits me, but hey, what can you do?" He brought a cigar up to the breather, scowled when he realised he couldn't smoke it, and flicked it away.

Yang pulled her own on with a little difficulty. It wasn't easy with one arm, but she managed it after a little fiddling. It was hot and sweaty inside and the tight-fitting leather didn't exactly do much to accommodate her bushy hair.

"We're storming the vault," Grey said, returning. "Right now, in fact. You two are going in first."

"Straight into the hail of fire," Roman snarked. "Thanks."

"This is White Fang, not criminals. I'm told that's your jurisdiction. We'll back you up, but I know full well you guys can take a bullet or two where some of mine can't. The entrance is always the most dangerous part and you'll make it easy." He paused. "Or at least I hope so."

"We're not waiting for the hostages to get further away?" Yang asked.

"Can't. Not when we've got no idea what we're dealing with. Could be a bomb fit to kill an entire block and no time will be enough for us to evacuate the district. Speaking of, they'd have to be deaf to not have heard our entrance. If it's gas like this suggests then they've gotten exactly what they want – a good portion of the city's emergency services, all within range. Come on, let's go. Time to show you new bloods how the VCPD handles things."

Yang and Roman shared a look and a shrug before they followed. As they descended the steps she saw plenty of black-suited and gas-mask wearing offices watching ever conceivable door, many more with guns aimed at the open vault. None of them spoke, at least not in words, but many made hand gestures and signals that were clearly some form of sign language. She had to admit, it was pretty impressive.

 _And we always called the police useless,_ she thought, recalling Team RWBY's discussions. _We never really respected how hard they work, and sure, they weren't always able to stop the White Fang, but they probably had thousands of other crimes to deal with as well._ They'd just been obsessed with Torchwick and the Fang, which she knew well enough now weren't easy to track through normal means.

"Team Alpha watch the foyer, Team Beta and Charlie stack up on me. Enter and clear after VSPR breach."

"You know how to breach?" Roman asked.

"Nope. You?"

"No idea."

She shrugged. "How hard can it be?"

/-/

Against all odds, it was easier than they'd expected…

Grey gave them a flashbang to breach with and a brief explanation on how to use it, and Roman tossed it in and waited for the bang – before the two of them rushed in, auras up and weapons prepared for the gunfight of their lives.

A gunfight they didn't receive. The entry point was utterly deserted.

"It's clear," Yang called.

There was a pause before the response came. "Already?"

Grey sounded like he didn't believe them.

"There's no one here." Her eyes scanned the vault interior, which was comprised of a long tunnel leading down underground and another vault door further down, as open as the first. There was nowhere anyone inside could have hidden and no rooms leading off it. "We'll go deeper just in case. Come on, Roman."

"I don't like the look of this, boss."

"What, the mysterious tunnel leading down into the vault where we know some terrorists and a potential bomb are? Gee, Roman. I wonder what's making you feel so anxious. Maybe it's the tooth fairy!"

Rather than flip her the bird, Roman chuckled. "Ladies first, then."

"Such a gentleman."

There was no time to argue and Yang stepped forward, Ember Celica activated and ready to blast at the first sign of trouble. The moment they passed away from the vault door and into the tunnel proper, their cover became nullified, and so did the chances of an ambush grow all the more. She could understand why Grey had been so reluctant to storm the vault. If it weren't for the risk of some kind of gas bomb, they could just starve the suspects out. No such luck.

They were about halfway down when they struck.

A White Fang terrorist, replete with gas mask, stepped out and opened fire with a roar of righteous anger. He managed five, maybe six shots, before one of Roman's exploded off his chest. He was thrown back against the metal door with a sickening thud.

"Now," Yang snapped, breaking into a sprint. "Get in before they can pin us down. There's no telling when they'll set off the gas!"

The moment the White Fang were in danger, probably, which would be now by all accounts. Yang pushed her legs harder, willing herself to move just that little bit faster. Releasing gas in the middle of the city. This was somehow so much worse than what Cinder had done. It was cruel, pointless, indiscriminate. Yang gritted her teeth and activated Ember Celica.

She and Roman rounded the corner and pushed into the vault at the same time.

"Don't move!" the man inside howled. He held a woman in one arm and had a gun to the side of her head. "Try it and I'll splatter the lovely Miss Lavender's brains out across the floor. We'll see if that makes the Vale News."

Yang took in the scene in an instant. There was one man – one terrorist – but he had a hostage, Lisa Lavender, who had tear tracks down her face and who was gripping onto the faunus' arm around her neck. She looked terrified, as she ought to. Beside them both, on a raised platform set for money and other valuables, was a strange and intricate object with a number of glass tubes running into it. Didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

"Put her down," Yang said, "and no one has to get hurt."

"You think I'll believe that?" He pulled her back and the woman gasped as they got closer to the device. Yang's fingers twitched. "It doesn't matter anyway – our work is done. This city will soon learn what happens to those who oppose the will of the White Fang!"

"This is going to hurt a lot of your guys too," Roman pointed out. "I saw some faunus cops out there, not to mention hostages."

"Sometimes it's required that sacrifices be made for the greater good."

"Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep easier at night?"

"That's rich coming from you!" the terrorist snapped.

"He has a point, Roman."

The reformed, if not redeemed, crook shrugged. "Eh, I sleep easy. I just didn't care who or how many I hurt. Benefits of being an asshole, I guess. But you… wasn't it change your lot wanted?"

"Change is one thing. Justice is another."

"Funny idea of justice…"

"This isn't justice," Yang said, catching Roman's plan and stalling for time. If they could talk him down, then they could get out of this in one piece. "One of my friends wants equality for the faunus too, but she realised trying to force that on people wouldn't work. You need to change hearts and minds."

"That's what we're doing!"

"No, it's not. You're trying to impose your will on people."

He snarled and pulled Lisa Lavender back. "No better than what your kind did to us!"

"Then rise above it. If you think what the humans did was so disgusting then you don't want to do the same thing, right?"

"This isn't the same at all! We're fighting for justice, for freedom-"

"But you're still fighting," Yang pointed out. "People are still being killed. It's kind of the same thing, bucko." She was cut off as a bullet ricocheted past his ear. Yang didn't flinch, even if the hostage whimpered and shook.

"Shut up!" the White Fang member hissed, weapon extended towards her. "Shut the hell up! You don't understand a thing, human. Our means might be similar, but our motives couldn't be more different. True change isn't something that can be achieved with words. It has to be taken – at the end of a sword or the barrel of a gun!"

Yang winced. This wasn't going as she'd hoped it might.

"What's going on in here?" Grey asked, sauntering in.

"Drop the weapon!" the terrorist screamed, now aiming at him. "Drop it!"

"Whoah, whoa," Grey put the submachine gun down on the table and took a step forward, empty hands raised before him. "I've put it down, see. I did what you wanted."

"Don't move!"

"I'm unarmed, see?"

He took another step forward, smiling the whole time.

"Stand still!"

"What's the fuss? I'm doing what you want."

Another step.

The terrorist snapped. He gasped and brought his weapon up, and Yang tensed, even if she knew there wouldn't be the time to cross the distance and push the officer out of the way. "I'll kill you!" the faunus yelled. "I'll- OW!"

He dropped his hostage, who had blood around her mouth from where she'd bitten the man's wrist. Lisa Lavender ducked low.

Yang made to lunge.

A crack echoed through the room.

Roman sighed.

The terrorist stood still for a second, almost looking perplexed with his weapon held in one hand and his other reaching up towards his face. It didn't make it all the way before he tumbled back, a hole in the centre of his forehead. Behind him, marking the steel walls, an explosion of blood.

"Fanatics," Grey sighed, lowering a handgun he'd somehow concealed. "You can't reason with them."

"You just… shot him…" Yang whispered.

"What did you expect? There's no telling if he'd have a detonator on him and he had a hostage. Not much that could be done." He strode forward and knelt by Lisa Lavender. "Ma'am, are you okay? That was courageous of you; you've been very brave. You're safe now."

Yang swallowed past her immediate revulsion, and the desire to look away from the body. She'd killed before… even if she'd never thought about it. Those White Fang she'd kicked off the train in Mountain Glenn hadn't gotten back up, not when they'd been thrown back into an army of rampaging Grimm. They would have been torn to shreds and because of her.

But still, that had been so easy to forget. They'd died out of sight, out of mind, and she hadn't been forced to see it happen, let alone to watch the evidence bleed out on the ground before her.

Did that really make a difference, though?

See it or not, it was still a dead member of the White Fang. She couldn't fault the Lieutenant for dealing with it the only way he could. _I could really use a drink… and probably a talk with Uncle Qrow. Damn it. This is so messed up._

"At least we're good on the bomb," Roman said. He tugged off his mask and nodded to the thing. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Leave it for now. I'll have a bomb and chemical squad come and disarm it."

"And what about _him_?" Yang had to ask.

"A body bag..." Grey sighed and helped the shaking woman to her feet. "I heard you trying to talk him down before I came in, even gave you a little time to see if it would work. Believe me I've tried it enough times myself, both with White Fang on the job and those behind bars. Funny thing is they'll never accept that what they're doing is wrong. A part of me thinks it's a defence mechanism… that they can somehow accept it was all worthwhile if only they stick to the story."

"The truth doesn't matter," Roman said. "Only that they believe it."

"That's…"

"Messed-up? Twisted?"

"I was going to say sad," she said. "If they have to hide in some fantasy world to escape life, then I'm not sure if that makes them pitiable or not."

"Yeah well, save your pity for the ones who _don't_ try and kill us. Us and everyone else here."

True. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. There were plenty of other faunus who hated the way things were, but they didn't become violent extremists trying to kill anyone without a faunus trait. This guy wasn't like Blake wanting a fresh start or an escape. He'd been fully committed to his task and prepared to kill them at a moment's notice.

"I guess this is why they wanted the hostages kept alive but didn't negotiate with us," Grey said. "They wanted to cause a scene – make us come in and then make it look like our mistake set off the gas and killed everyone inside."

"Y-Yes," Lisa Lavender said. "That's why they brought me in here. They wanted me to video it…" She held up her scroll weakly.

"Evidence," Grey said, reaching for it.

 _Beep_

The four of them froze.

 _Click_

The device behind them shifted. One of the tubes descended into it with a whirr, and before Yang could even think to gasp, the other bulged outward – glass cracking as the gas inside suddenly expanded in a violent chemical reaction.

"Masks on!" she yelled.

Roman tugged his on with a curse, turning away even as the glass shattered. Through the visor of her own Yang saw Grey tackle the hostage to the floor then, to her horror, remove his own mask and push it down over her face with one hand. Lisa Lavender struggled but couldn't get him off her, and as the green gas spread out and billowed out of the vault, she lost sight of them entirely.

"S-Shit," Roman gasped. "Boss, boss? Yang!? You okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she replied. She took a tentative breath but found herself able to breathe easily. The smoke fogged past her visor, too thick to see through, and it had begun to roll and flow up and out of the vault into the main lobby and beyond. She thought of shouting out a warning, but they'd have seen it by now and acted accordingly. At least she hoped so. "Lieutenant Grey!" she shouted instead. "Grey, are you okay? Answer me!"

There was nothing. Yang's heart leapt into her throat, but she pushed through the smog to where she'd last seen him throw away his only protection for another. Her hand wafted before her face in a futile effort to dispel the smoke.

"Lieutenant Grey!?"

A voice reached Yang's ears. It was soft, choked, and feminine. "H-ack-H-Help…"

"Lisa?" Yang pushed forward towards the voice.

She found the newsreader a second later – and Grey. Yang breathed a sigh of relief and moved towards them, but that soon faded when Lisa looked her way. Even through the mask Yang could see the terror on her face, and she threw out a hand in a desperate gesture for aid. That was when she noticed it.

Grey's hands were around Lisa Lavender's throat.

"Get off her!" Yang yelled. There was no time to question him, so she drove a boot into his shoulder and knocked him aside, dislodging his grip and allowing the woman underneath him to roll over and gasp for breath, one hand still holding the gasmask to her face. Yang caught Grey by the collar and hauled him up. "What the hell got into you…?"

His face was blood red. His eyes were wide and wild, and saliva dripped from his mouth as he swung a fist towards her face. Gone was the stern discipline, quiet confidence and calm voice. In its place was a monster of a man.

"Fang," Yang realised, dropping the officer – and then _dropping_ him a second later with a fist to the jaw. Yang's eyes drifted to the vault entrance. "They've set up a Fang bomb."

"Worse," Roman said, "they've managed to make it airborne… and look where they just released it."

Right in the middle of Central Vale – in a building surrounded by the very people the city would rely on to quell and treat the disaster. Surrounded by a whole load of civilians who had come to see what was going on, and fully armed police officers who had no idea of what was about to happen.

"This is going to go to shit," Roman sighed.

Yes…

That was probably a good way of putting it.

* * *

 **I'm sorry again about the lateness, and the fact it's a little rushed. Once this event is over life can go back to normal for me, and it's one of those work things I really shouldn't have been asked to step in on, since it's an event that's been known about since July last year, but which the team working on has achieved nothing – an actual ZERO – guests in all that time. It's now two weeks away and I've dragged the numbers from 0 to 75 or so, but I need more. So yeah, it's just that this crap was thrown on my plate last second and I'm bending over backwards to try and make sure it doesn't explode in our face. Yay for hard-working employees.**

 **On this chapter, Weiss makes an appearance and the bank robbery is more than it seems – and far more dangerous than any realised. What's this, competent villains in the RWBY-verse? Now you know this is AU.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Thatrandom

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

Yang dashed back up the ramp toward the bank's foyer. The green smoke had already begun to billow towards it and several gas-masked officers were crying out warnings. Yang saw them and waved one hand before her, voice raised at the top of her lungs as she shouted out, "Seal the vault! Seal it up!"

No one responded but they must have heard her. Red lights flashed above and below the giant metal door as it whirred shut. More than three quarters of the way down the sloped corridor there was no chance they'd make it. Yang watched with bated breath as the gas rolled and coiled towards the door, thicker than air and acting almost like a gaseous liquid. There was a mighty _clang_ as the door sealed shut, and then the sound of several pistons being driven across, locking it. The Fang gas rolled up against it and spread out. It didn't pass through.

"Is it done?" Roman gasped, catching up.

Yang let out a long, relieved, breath. "Looks like they caught it in time."

"That's good. If it pooled out in the middle of the foyer it would have spread out the doors and into the street. No telling how much carnage that would cause." The thief took off his bowler hat and ran a hand through his hair. "This is messed up."

"I thought you _liked_ messed up. You tried to have killer robots go mad in the city."

"Yeah, but not by choice. It was that or be killed by Cinder."

"Some might call that a choice, Roman."

"Pretentious pricks might, and they'll imagine that in the same spot they'd have the courage to accept death for the betterment of people they neither know nor give a shit about." He snorted, clearly unimpressed with the thought. "Whatever. Point is, this doesn't serve any decent purpose. Set off a fire alarm so people leave a building and you rob it – that's purpose. This is so wanton, so destructive. There's no profit in this."

Yang rolled her eyes and ignored him. Trust Roman to want to see the lien in everything but she supposed that was what made him a successful thief. Not everyone was like that, though. The White Fang didn't want to win anything other than fear and terror, and this would be a good way to achieve it. _In a way the White Fang were worse than Cinder. She was dangerous because she was so strong and cunning, but at least she used distractions to try and get past people. Is this what happens when the White Fang have no one to control them and get an effective person to lead them?_ She could see why Blake had been so paranoid.

Footsteps behind echoed as their third wheel came to join them, the woman with the gas mask looking nervously around, regarding the gas with outright suspicion, as she stood a foot or two away. Lisa Lavender looked like she wanted to say something but didn't dare interrupt them.

"We'll sit here for now," Yang said, answering the unasked question for both Lisa's and Roman's sakes. "I doubt there's another way out of the vault and the city is bound to have some way of containing this. We just need to wait for it to arrive."

"And hope the gasmasks hold long enough," Roman drawled.

"They will." Lisa stepped forward nervously. "They were changed two years ago from the old kind. These use a filter system of dust that reacts with air and burns away impurities. Because the dust feeds off of this they effectively last forever." She smiled weakly when Roman and Yang stared at her. "I did a news story on it at the time. A lot of people thought it was a waste of taxpayer money and weren't happy about it."

Roman snorted. "Heh, cute."

"As long as they last, I don't care," Yang said, checking the mask to make sure it was secure. The air she breathed through it tasted clean enough, but she had no idea if Fang actually had a taste or smell. It was certainly obvious, being a thick green gas, but anything else was a mystery. Up until today the only Fang they'd ever known was a liquid or gel, and that as something mixed into pharmaceutical products.

The Council and Ozpin were going to have a field day with this. She could just tell. The question was whether they could track the White Fang down, not just those responsible, but whoever had actually figured out how to make the drug into a gas. That couldn't be common knowledge and not even Blue Sky knew how to do that.

"So, anyone got a pack of cards?"

Yang sighed. "This isn't the time, Roman."

"It's the only time. We're stuck down here until the Council pulls their fingers out."

"Will it be safe down here?" Lisa asked. She looked back to the vault. "That… that man is still back there."

It took Yang a second to realise what she meant. "Lieutenant Grey? I knocked him out."

"He might wake up."

"Then I'll knock him out again," she said. "Besides, the Fang might be out of his system by the time he wakes up." That was if he didn't take another deep breath, of course. The Fang was still filling the area.

"It takes longer to work its way out," Lisa said, disagreeing. "People affected can wake up and be fine, but the more they've been exposed to, the longer the effects last. There are some people who took Middivale Products that are still restrained a whole week later."

Roman looked nervous. "He _did_ take a full blast of the stuff straight from the source."

Yang bit her lip. "Roman, go take any weapons off his body. If there's anything to tie him up with, use it." She waited for him to sigh and leave before turning to Lisa. "How do you know all of this? The Council haven't released any information. Even I didn't know and I'm the one who has to deal with this stuff day-in, day-out."

"I'm a journalist," Lisa said, smiling as though it should have been obvious. It faltered, and she glanced away, one hand coming up to rub her throat. "The Council wants it kept quiet for now, but I talked to a few people at the hospital. I have… contacts. There are people who owe me favours, or some who take little bribes."

"Anything for a story?"

"I know it's not right, but the world isn't right. I have to make a living and people deserve to know what's going on. The Council would have us believe everything is fine."

"You ever think that's to prevent negativity growing and the Grimm showing up?"

"Sometimes," Lisa admitted, "But you can only uncover another scandal wherein a council member quashed information about their crimes so many times. You might look at me and see a mercenary, but you haven't seen some of the things I have." Lisa sighed and ran a hand over the mask's visor. "They're not doing it for the city. They're doing it for themselves, so they can get re-elected even when they're doing terrible jobs. Keep in mind this is the _same_ council who put Atlas in charge of security for the festival – the same council which almost left us to Atlas' killer robots."

Roman returned before Yang could reply, and the thief held a handgun in one hand and a knife in the other. "I used some clothing from the dead guy to tie the Lieutenant up," he said. "Not sure it'll hold if he's raged out, but it'll slow him down. He won't be sneaking up on us."

"Good work. Is it just me or is the gas getting weaker?"

Roman looked around. "Seems thinner. You think it breaks down over time?"

Lisa gasped, staring at the ceiling – or the point where the ceiling met the wall. There was a narrow grate barely an inch or two tall, but with thin metal bars covering it. The gas, which had until that point pooled on the floor, had filled the room enough to reach it.

It was being swept into the ventilation system.

/-/

Weiss ducked her head as the offices in full uniform led her and the other hostages across the upper-floor balcony and toward the foyer. There were more police on the bottom level and they continued to check doors and rooms, weapons at the ready for any terrorists who had slipped away and might be waiting in ambush. It wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind for her day off – especially when she'd just come to check her balance. _That wouldn't even be a problem if father hadn't cut me off. Damn him._

Two officers took each hostage at the top of staircase, escorting them down and flanking on either side, likely to use their bodies as shields more than to assist the people in walking, since only one was injured and that was the brave security guard who had tried to help them. Weiss waited at the top until last, still strong and capable of fighting should they need it. Luckily the officers recognised that, or her. Even without Myrtenaster she was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Have you seen my teammate?" she asked one of them, a woman whose face was obscured by a thick gas mask. "She would be a blonde with long hair and purple eyes. She only has one arm."

The last seemed to jog the woman's memory, and Weiss knew Yang would have hated the fact. "Captain of the VSPR," the woman said. "Saw her head down with Lieutenant Grey to storm the vault and clear out the last of the terrorists."

Weiss glanced over the balcony and frowned. "The vault's been closed."

"Orders from inside, ma'am."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing we can't handle, ma'am. Our orders are to get all of you out. Please follow me." The woman took her arm and tugged her to the staircase.

"I'm a huntress. I can help…"

"Ma'am, the best way you can help right now is by letting us do our job."

"I…" Weiss paused, but eventually nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry." Blake would have pushed the issue, she felt. Even Ruby would have been reluctant to leave, but neither of them looked at the big picture all that often. If she ran off now, the police would have to follow. Did she really want to risk their lives for her own ego?

The last of the hostages had cleared the entrance by the time Weiss reached the foyer. Several armed men watched the vault, while yet more fanned out and covered every entrance. They were halfway across the foyer when the woman leading her froze.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, turning.

The woman's attention was focused up toward the ceiling. Weiss followed and saw a strange distortion in the air, like little motes of dust or light falling from the ceiling. It was hard to make out much detail, but it had an almost emerald tinge to it.

/-/

"Sir! Sir! Mr Richardson!" A young man burst into an office, slamming the door back behind him and interrupting a meeting between two men in suits, one of which, the one sat behind the desk, looked up with a frown.

"Brown, you better have a good reason to be interrupting me or I'll have you cast back down to intern."

"I-I do, Mr Richardson. Here." He rushed forward and slammed a scroll down on the table, revealing a message on it. The two men read over it, sharing a worried look between them. The younger one fidgeted. "She's asking it be done immediately, sir. Emergency channels. Emergency broadcast. Middle of the day!"

"There's protocol for this." The manager, Richardson, said. "We could get in trouble."

Brown fidgeted. "You've read the message, sir."

"I have." The man behind the desk sighed and ran a hand over his jaw, pinching his cheeks as he let out a long breath. He looked to his companion. "What do you say, Franklin?"

"It's dangerous, Richardson. Heads will roll."

"Ours?"

"Hard to say. Hers, perhaps. Still, this is what we signed up for, right?"

"Might be more than my job's worth."

"Almost certainly is. You know the folks up high won't like it."

"When have they? Only thing they want to hear is how good a job they're doing. This isn't going to do that. It's going to cause a panic."

"And save lives," the younger man pointed out.

"Lives are statistics."

"Do you believe that, sir? Or is that just what they want you to believe?"

The man frowned. Brown had a point, even if it was a long time since he'd thought about such things. Figures and ratings, money and success, those were what guided him. But it hadn't always been like that. Like every other child he'd had dreams. Ideals. The city tended to swallow those whole.

"He's got a point," Franklin said. "We didn't get into this to be what we are now. We wanted to make a difference. You remember that?"

"I do. The world doesn't really support that, though. Power and money speaks, not good ideals."

Franklin nodded and stepped back. "Your call. I'll follow your lead."

Richardson sighed and leaned back in his seat. He regarded the scroll, the window, and then the two waiting for a decision. The device beeped again, bringing another message, a desperate one. He clenched his eyes shut and stood.

"Tell the studio we're going live."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The boy fled the office, the two following, and stepped out into a corridor bustling with life. A man in a suit jogged by struggling with a red tie, slipping through a pair of double doors as camera crews rushed into position and the studio was driven down into a pale blue hue. The manager pushed by one, nodding as the newscaster finished his tie, downed a glass of water, and adopted a ready position. Richardson stepped into the production room, nodding to two men and a woman busy on computers.

He held up three fingers, then two, and finally one – watching as a TV screen on the nearby wall buzzed and flickered, to be replaced by the newscaster at the desk.

"We apologise for interrupting your intended broadcast but bring you breaking news on the situation taking place at Vale Central Bank, Central Vale," the newscaster said. "Where one of our own reporters, Lisa Lavender, is on the scene." He turned to the side. "Lisa, can you explain your situation to us?"

Richardson nodded and twisted a dial, switching the camera focus to what was a hazy and obscured video transmitted by a scroll held by someone off to the side. Though the detail was difficult to make out, one could see two figures – a woman in a police uniform and gas mask, and Lisa Lavender, also wearing a mask. Her voice was tinny but clear.

" _I can, Mitch. I am currently here in the Vale Central Bank where terrorist elements of the White Fang had taken several people hostage, myself included. It is only via the hard work of Captain Yang Xiao-Long of the VSPR, Vale Special Police and Recon, that we have been freed and are now safe."_

"We're glad to hear it, Lisa. So, has the threat been eliminated?"

" _I'm afraid not. Although the White Fang have been stopped, they have released a small quantity of the Fang Virus into the bank, hence our use of gas masks. The Captain here has graciously offered to tell us a little more about that. Captain Xiao-Long, if you will."_

" _Thank you."_ The woman in the uniform stepped forward. Even with the mask he could tell she was nervous and unused to speaking, but she held herself as best she could. _"The Fang Virus that has been released is an airborne variant that we have currently secured in the vault of the bank. However, while we await a specialist team to come and deal with it there is the possibility of some escaping, and I will have to ask people outside the bank, and those nearby, to evacuate the area in an orderly fashion."_

" _Will there be any risk to them, Captain?"_

" _We don't think so at this time and it's merely a precaution for their own safety. All emergency services attending the bank will be equipping gas masks and other such equipment, but we would rather not take the risk."_

"Sir," one of the women at the computers said. "We've had a transmission from the Council. They're demanding we shut down the broadcast."

So soon? They must have already known. He scowled at the screen before him. "Keep it running."

"B-But Mr Richardson..." The woman looked frightened, as did the team. He snarled and pulled her chair back.

"All of you, out. If you're not here, then you can't be blamed for what happens." He took her position at the computer as she and the other two fled, leaving him in charge. He saw the message from the Council and notice of an incoming emergency call. He shut both down. "Keep her talking," he whispered into a mic, pulling the headphones over his head. Mitch, the newscaster, nodded subtly.

"And what does this mean for the people of Vale, Captain?" Mitch asked.

" _We are asking for all civilians to vacate the area around Vale Central Bank and move back to a safe distance, effective immediately."_ she said. _"There is no immediate need to panic and the risk is minor, but the crowd currently outside of the bank must disperse immediately. I will repeat, there are `no terrorists` still on the premises and all hostages have been secured safely. No innocent lives have been lost but this is a precaution to prevent the situation worsening."_

"Thank you, Captain, and thank you for protecting our colleague and our people." Mitch turned back to the screen even as two people broke into the studio and moved towards the cameras. "That is all we have time for here, but we hope everyone will heed this message and leave the Vale Central area in a calm and orderly fashion. This is Mitch Ambersoul, VNN, signing out."

The door was kicked in a second later. Hands settled on his shoulders, dragging him away as the broadcast was shut down.

/-/

"Hit the brakes!" Mercury yelled, Junior doing so and causing the APC to screech to a halt twenty feet or more away from the crowd running panicked down the street, several of which screamed and leapt back as the criminals turned officers poured out. Mercury ignored them, pushing through the crowd on foot.

"Hold up!" one of the Malachites growled, struggling behind him. "We're not all as tall as you, robo-legs."

"Looks like the boss' message got out," the other twin said. "So much for _calm and orderly_ , though."

"Quit your whining, Miltia. Here." Junior tossed her a gas mask, and then threw some more out to the others. They dragged them on over their heads and pushed through what people remained, approaching the bank where ambulance workers and police officers were now rooting around for their own. The number of them was diminished, no doubt those without equipment being sent away so they wouldn't succumb to Fang.

One officer approached nervously. "A-Are you the VSPR?"

"We are," Junior said. He nodded to the bank. "What's going on in there? Who's in charge here?"

"L-Lieutenant Grey was, sir, but he went inside, and we've lost contact. The hostages are out and have been sent off, and we got a call from HQ telling us to gasmask up or retreat immediately." The man sounded lost and confused, but this was already out of his jurisdiction.

"Leave the rest to us," he said. "This is what we do." He sounded more confident than he was and the moment they were out of earshot he turned to Mercury and the others. "I have no idea what to do. Any plans?"

"No idea," Melanie said.

"Nope." Miltia added.

Neo shook her head.

"Find the boss?" Mercury suggested.

"What, and hope she has a plan?" Junior considered it for a moment. "Yeah, can't be any worse than going in blind." Even if they were about to do just that. Junior took the lead as they ascended the four or five stone steps up towards the glass-fronted entranceway. It was quiet inside, deathly so, and the lights had already flickered off, probably in the first raid. Their vision was further obscured by the gasmasks they wore, and the foggy round eyeholes they were forced to look through.

The twins fanned to the left as they entered, while Mercury and Neo took the right, each moving as quietly as possible. Shards of glass crinkled underfoot, and the foyer was covered in a faint smog.

"Think this is Fang?" Mercury whispered.

"Dunno. I wouldn't take that mask off, though."

A crunch of glass to the left startled them. Junior turned, casting a light from his torch in the direction, but lowered it when a uniformed figure staggered towards them. The woman had a hand to her midriff and was hunched over it.

"Oi," Mercury called. "You oka- whoah!" He lunged forward and caught the woman as she fell. "Okay, I'll admit, girls don't normally fall for me this quickly."

"Shut it, moron," Junior snapped. He tapped the woman's face to the side and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed her mask in place. Through the eyeholes he could see she was in pain. "Are you okay?" he asked. "What happened in here?"

"F-Fang…"

"The Fang Virus?"

"It came from the vents," she gasped. "We were… we were fine at first, but then the White Fang we'd taken down woke up and breathed it in." She whimpered and clutched her ribs. Junior could smell blood on her.

"Stay with me," he said. "What happened next?"

"We… tried to subdue. Order given not shoot." She gritted her teeth. "It was madness. Someone's mask got pulled off; some masks didn't work at all. The Fang got in. It only got worse, and then… then… _she_ appeared."

"Who is she?" Melanie asked.

"Forget that," Junior said. "We're looking for our Captain. Do you know where she is?"

"Vault. Tried to seal self in to stop it spreading. Slowed it down enough… to get hostages out." She gasped. "She should still be in there. But be careful. Fang is everywhere. Some of them still had guns. I got… I got tagged…" She removed her hand, revealing a grisly wound in her side. A round had punctured her armour.

"Shit." Junior glanced to Mercury. "Can you get her out of here?"

"Sure thing. I'll be back in five." The silver-haired teen didn't say anymore, hoisting the injured woman up over his shoulder and carrying her out of the bank. Some of the smoke had begun to billow out now, but it was weak and dissipated in the air, swept upwards and away.

There had to be a minimum amount required to send someone mad; that was just how medicine worked. It would have been more concentrated in pill form, so a little bit wouldn't drive the city crazy. But if the White Fang were able to replicate this on a larger scale? That would be bad.

"So," Melanie said. "What do we do?"

"Plan's not changed, girls. We get to the vault and get the Captain out along with Roman. Hopefully they'll have a better idea of what to do. Otherwise we cordon off the entire area and wait for the chemical squads to arrive."

"Maybe we should stick together," Miltia suggested. "Wouldn't want an old man like you to get scared."

Junior chuckled, knowing the real reason and knowing better than to challenge her. "Sounds like a plan. Watch my back for me."

"Got it."

The four of them moved slowly into the foyer and cast their torches around, hoping for the light to penetrate the green fog. A couple of bodies caught his attention on the floor and he knelt down to touch a hand against the neck of one, breathing a little easier once he realised there was a pulse. The gunfights couldn't have hit too many people, then. That was lucky.

Neo tapped his shoulder from behind and pointed ahead, indicating a thick grey door set into the wall. "The vault," he whispered. "Good job. Think there's a way to open it out here? Probably has to be." He gestured to the others to stick close and made his way toward it.

A click sounded above.

Junior dove to the side as bullets rained down on them, splitting the group in two. He landed hard, rolling around a counter. The shooter chose to focus on the twins instead, giving him a chance to lean out and take a look. It was an officer in uniform, but his mask was broken, the eyepieces shattered.

"Damn it. Neo, get the vault open." He nodded to the girl and she vanished, literally hiding in her illusions. The smoke en route to the vault parted, however, showing her path in that direction. Junior's hand fell to his handgun, but he pulled it back. The White Fang had chosen their targets well. If he shot to kill then all that would be left was the dead body of an innocent man or woman, the Fang gone from their system.

He cursed and stood out of cover instead, firing a shot off into the ceiling further above the figure. The officer snarled and turned in his direction, reacting instinctively and giving the Malachites a chance to charge the stairs to the balcony. Junior danced behind a pillar, squeezing off two more shots but aiming them high. "That's right. Eyes on me." Miltia and Melanie closed on the officer, preparing to take him down safely.

Someone beat them there.

It was a white shape shooting from the side _screaming_ at the top of its lungs. It hit the officer in the side, carrying both him and itself off the balcony, before they crashed down to the tiles below, the officer on the bottom.

"What the fu-"

A crack echoed, mask shattering further as the figure slammed the officer's head down into the ground, knocking him out. The figure above him stood, eyes wild and rabid as they focused on Junior not ten paces away.

The girl lunged for his throat.

/-/

Yang leapt back as the lights inside the tunnel flashed, indicating that the vault door was opening. She hadn't missed the gunfire outside, nor had Roman or Lisa who waited behind her. Listening to the screaming and shooting had been horrifying, more so with them trapped inside the vault with the rest of the Fang virus. Only a portion of it had been able to escape through the vents, with the majority pooling further down the sloped corridor and inside the vault room itself. They'd moved Grey's unconscious body out of there for that reason, afraid what might happen if he was left in the stuff.

But now she could hear familiar voices on the other side of the opening vault door. "Junior!" she shouted. "Mercury, Miltia, Melania! Is that you?" There was no answer. She didn't bother to think that might mean nothing and instead rapped a hand on the metal. "Neo. Is it you?"

Something rapped back on the metal. Yang grinned. It looked like their crazy gambit had worked, alerting the rest of the team and also convincing the other police to let them in. The moment the vault was open enough for her to squeeze through she did so, Roman following and Lisa coming in behind.

There was a mighty crash as Junior flew by to crash into a wooden counter, spilling pens, paper, and electrical equipment across the floor. "Junior!" Yang paused to push Lisa Lavender down into a safe nook near the vault. "Stay here and don't move. Roman, keep her safe."

The thief nodded, and Yang rushed over to kneel down next to Junior, who was rubbing some finger-like marks on his throat. He looked up to her and grunted once to let her know he was okay. Yang looked back to where he'd been hurled from, eyes red, but gasped when she saw who it was.

"Weiss…?"

It was but it wasn't. Weiss' eyes were wide and wild, her skin flushed red. She took in a deep breath and let it go in a haze of green smoke, and when her attention focused onto Yang, it was not the strict but loyal girl she knew. It was something far worse. Her eyes also fell to Weiss' hands in time to see blood drip to the floor.

"Weiss? No, you didn't… you couldn't have…"

Yang barely had the time to gasp as Weiss lunged for her, fingers outstretched for her face. She brought up an arm to defend, only to realise it was the wrong one. Weiss sailed by, prepared to tear her throat out – but was knocked aside at the last moment by a meaty fist. The huntress in white tumbled to the floor and rolled into a pillar.

"That's not your friend anymore," Junior groaned, panting heavily. "Don't lose focus, boss. We need to deal with her."

"B-But Weiss… she… did she?"

"No idea. But you know damn well if she gets out of here still poisoned like that she's going to cause carnage. Not to mention what she'll _feel_ when she wakes up and realises what she's done."

When she woke up? Yang's heart broke at the thought. Weiss held herself to so many ideals and realising she'd done this would crush her. It would be a thousand times worse if she got out and hurt more innocent people. Yang took a deep breath, clenching her fist. "Junior. Take the girls and clear the rest of the place out. Take out any police infected by the Fang but do it without bloodshed."

"And the girl?" he asked.

"She's my teammate. This is my fight."

Junior held her gaze for a long moment but nodded. He rushed for the stairs, calling Neo and the girls to follow. That left Yang and Weiss stood across a foyer covered in thick fog, shattered glass beneath them and Roman and Lisa Lavender watching from the side-lines, the crook stood in front of the reporter in case things got bad.

"Sorry Weiss," Yang called, catching the berserk girl's attention once more. "You're going to be pissed when this is all said and done. You'll be alive, though. That's the best I can offer."

"Rargh!" Weiss charged in, lashing out with both hands. Yang swayed away from one and beneath the other. Those under the influence of Fang were fast and powerful, resilient like they didn't know their own limits, but they were not skilled or focused. She slammed a foot forward and drove her elbow deep into Weiss' stomach, up into her solar plexus.

Weiss buckled but held firm, wrapping both hands around Yang's shoulders and clawing for her eyes. The girl's breath brushed against the back of her neck, hot and wet as she tried to bite down, only to gasp as Yang surged up, striking her head into the girl's jaw.

 _I'm not doing this because I want to, Weiss._ A foot slammed into Weiss' face, spinning her to the side. _I'm not doing this because I take any pleasure in it._ Yang charged forward, caught Weiss' hair and smacked her face down into the tiles. Something caught her leg from behind, tripping her, and as she fell Weiss grabbed her arm and pulled it towards her.

Pain flared through her wrist. Weiss had bitten her.

That left the girl open, however. Yang tore her arm free, sending aura to the wound to stop it getting worse as she knelt on top of her teammate and punched her in the face. The first blow hit hard, knocking Weiss' face to the side. She snarled and turned back, only to falter at a second, and then a third, and a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, until sweat poured from Yang's forehead and she punched down one final time. Weiss growled and struggled, but eventually sagged and lay still.

She inspected the wound on her arm, wincing at the tiny bit of blood that pooled out. Weiss didn't exactly have fangs, but she'd bitten hard enough to drive her incisors down. "Next time you want to nibble on me, invite me out to dinner first," she joked. Her smile faltered as she looked down on her friend, however. Weiss' face was a mess of bruises and cuts and her body was battered, covered in splotches of what was almost certainly blood.

"Gods, Weiss. What happened to you?"

There was no answer. Weiss didn't move a muscle as Yang leaned down to wrap her arm around the girl's head and pull her in for a quick hug. Tears stung at her eyes. Damn the White Fang. Damn them to hell. It had been personal before. Now, it was something else.

"It's okay," she whispered to the unconscious girl. "I'll make sure it's okay."

/-/

Sirens were already wailing as Yang and the others left the bank, Weiss in her arms and Lisa Lavender escorted between Roman and Junior. The chemical teams had arrived, and one paused in front of Yang, clearly unsure what to do.

"Most of the Fang virus is in the vault," she said, too exhausted to manage a smile. "The rest has dissipated in air and hasn't affected anyone out here, so it can't be strong enough. We've knocked out everyone infected. It's safe to go in but take some medical teams with you. There are injured."

The man nodded and barked orders into a comm system on his uniform. Several others detached from some green-marked vans and rushed for the entrance, while some ambulance workers were dragged along, gasmasks being fitted over their faces before they entered. Yang and her team made their way to the APC.

Junior pulled the side door open and between the two of them they were able to lift Weiss inside. "You sure you want to take her with us?" he asked. He saw her eyes narrow and quickly explained, "We're not exactly a hospital. She might be able to get better treatment if we send her there."

"The best treatment is at Beacon," Yang countered. The hospitals would be full of people after this, and there was also a chance someone would question Weiss when she woke up. They didn't want that. There was no telling what they might try to pin her with. "We'll take her back to HQ and have Beacon collect her. I know how much of a beating she can take. This is nothing."

"If you say so, boss. I'll strap her in. Looks like someone wants to speak to you."

"What now?" Yang turned in time to see two men approaching, both police, both looking vaguely familiar for some reason. She stepped forwards to stand before them. "Something you guys need?"

The one in the lead snarled and drew out his gun. "You're under arrest."

Yang blinked. "What? You realise I'm in the police as well, right? And that I have the jurisdiction here since it was the White Fang."

"Not you, Captain." He sneered her title. "As much as I'd love to see you and your lot behind bars. Lisa Lavender, you are hereby under arrest."

The woman in question faltered. "W-What? I don't understand."

"Orders from the Council. You are to come with me immediately." He nodded to his companion, who strode towards the reporter.

He walked into and bounced off Yang as she stepped in front of him.

"On what charges is she being arrested?"

"Sedition."

"Excuse me?"

"Lisa Lavender is under arrest for charges of sedition against the Council of Vale and the city itself. As of this moment the Council has dispatched myself, Captain Redcliffe, to arrest the traitor. By force if necessary."

"She didn't do anything. I was with her the whole time."

The man sighed and looked toward the sky, rolling his eyes. He took one step forward, enough to bring he and Yang face to face. His eyes came back down, locking onto hers, and he sneered into her face. "Your words will be taken into consideration, _Captain_. Stand. Aside."

She didn't move. "I remember you now. You're the guy from the Town Hall. The one at the council meeting." He'd sent them to a cupboard when they'd asked for directions, not to mention had the gall to call her a criminal to her face.

"I won't repeat myself, Captain. Stand aside."

"You're Lieutenant Grey's superior, aren't you?"

"I am."

"I feel sorry for the guy. He was a lot easier to get along with than you. And he didn't show up conspicuously late to a disaster taking place in his own area. Your HQ is what, ten minutes away? Took you a long time to get here."

"Are you implying something?"

"No. I'm stating it." Yang sighed. "You're not having her. As of right now she's a part of our investigation, and since we're the force dealing with the White Fang we have priority. She's our suspect and has information we need."

"Captain, with all due respect – and that is none – my orders come from the Council. I'm not sure you're aware of who you are upsetting here. Stand aside and I shall neglect to mention your-"

"You said it again."

"Excuse me?"

"Stand aside," she explained. "You told me you wouldn't repeat it." Yang stepped forward, and Redcliffe was forced to take one back or fall over. "I've not had a good day, Captain Redcliffe. I responded to a call for aid in _your_ area, pretended to be a hostage, fought some terrorists, freed the actual hostages, saved your Lieutenant from killing an innocent while drugged on Fang, then had to save the rest of your force after some of them went mad. All of this while you and yours sat in the background taking orders from the council. I don't see the council here. I didn't see you here, either. What's wrong, too much of a coward? Or is it that you're a lapdog?"

"You stupid son of a bitch," he roared. "I'll arrest you as well and destroy your entire group myse-" He didn't get any further. Yang's hand snapped out, caught his collar, and then brought his nose into her forehead with a sickening crack. He fell in a spray of blood, clutching at his nose.

"My mom was a huntress actually," she said, "and twice the man you are, even without a pair of balls. Roman, Junior, get everyone in the APC and let's go. That includes our guest Miss Lavender."

The others rushed to follow her instructions and Yang walked past the downed Captain, pausing in front of his toady to see if he wanted to try anything. The man shook his head and staggered back. Yang nodded and moved by, climbing into the passenger seat of the APC as Junior turned on the ignition and pulled it away.

"Call Ozpin and tell him what's happened," she said back to the others. "I've got a feeling we'll need his help after this."

"He does owe us a favour," Roman said. "Interesting to see if he'll follow through on it."

Yang nodded and left him to it. For some reason, and she couldn't quite explain why, she thought Ozpin would honour it. He'd put her in this spot for a reason, after all. With all the crap that had been going on, she had the feeling it wasn't just as some kind of test.

The timing was too perfect.

* * *

 **I'm not looking forward to this event Thursday, but I am looking forward to it being over, as it's really dragging all of my time away at the moment. This chapter got all the stuff it needed out, but I can't quite decide what I think about it.**

 **I dunno. I kept re-reading it because it felt like the tense was wrong, or that I was in second person or something. It's hard to explain but sometimes (very rarely) I get into this weird mode where no matter what I write, I have a niggling feeling it's not right, even if it is. That was going haywire all over this chapter.**

 **Anyway, this chapter was full of innocuous things which will turn out important. It was honestly a case of me writing this with a list next to me of things I** _ **had**_ **to mention in order for things to make sense down the line.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**Back once again with the police, and the terrorists, and the political shenanigans. Back once again with the fic where we play the "catch Couer out when he mistakenly mentions Yang having `hands` as opposed to `a hand` game". Seriously, I had to go through this with a fine comb because I kept using plural. It's hard!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Thatrandom

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

If the White Fang's goals were to cause chaos and controversy then give the bastards a medal because they'd managed that. Yang tried to keep her head down for most of it and focus on what was important; keeping Weiss safely in the VSPR headquarters and making sure no one came for Lisa Lavender. The latter proved most complicated, especially when a squad car pulled into their parking lot and three officers, two men and a woman, fanned out and moved towards the building.

"Want me to tell them to fuck off?" Mercury offered. He sounded just a little too enthusiastic about it for Yang's liking. Not that she didn't spare a glorious moment to imagine the looks on their faces, since she totally did. Reality kicked back in however, and she shook her head.

"Leave it to me. Take Lisa into a back office. I want her out of sight."

"Got it." He nodded and moved over to the still worried woman, taking her by the arm. Before he left he shot Yang one last grin. "Give 'em hell, Captain."

Tch, trust him to only call her that when he was abandoning her to the wolves. Well, it wasn't like he was leaving her alone. She had a feeling most people would have found something else to do when faced by a situation like this, leaving her to her fate. The crooks and criminals that made up the VSPR weren't exactly `normal`, though, and they all crowded around – eager to see if anything would come of the meeting. She had a feeling they were itching for a fight and eager to finish whatever these three started.

The three officers certainly noticed that when they entered, sparing a nervous glance for the Malachites leaning over the back of the couches, smiles as vicious as ever, and then an even _more_ nervous look toward Neo, who had already drawn her sword. When the diminutive mute realised she was the centre of attention she quickly diffused it by running a finger across her throat in a slow, threatening, gesture.

"Note to self, teach Neo what `diffuse` means," Yang mumbled. She pushed past Roman and Junior, each doing their best `look at me, I am a man and am squaring my shoulders, quake in fear` impressions. She stood in front of the three and crossed her arms. Or, well, crossed one arm and rested her stump of an arm on top of it. "Officers," she greeted. "Welcome to the VSPR. How can I help you?"

The three officers looked between themselves before one of the men was pushed forward, ingloriously nominated as the spokesperson. He looked at Yang and swallowed, clearly more afraid of her than the dangerous criminals behind her.

He made her shit list instantly for that.

"I-I am here on authority from the Vale Central Police Department with instructions to arrest Lisa Lavender for crimes against the city. You are to hand her over immediately or face the consequences."

And threatening her didn't exactly help his cause. One of Yang's eyebrows slowly rose. "What consequences?"

"Uh… well… I…" The man trailed off, making it clear he hadn't actually expected her to refuse, let alone prepared himself for listing said consequences to a very scary seventeen-year-old girl. A girl who was also a huntress. A huntress who was quite obviously _not_ in the best of moods. To be fair, she'd just come from a bank robbery with poison gas, terrorists, and one of her friends going psycho. Not exactly the best start to a day, let alone the best ending to one.

"Did Captain Redcliffe put you up to this?"

"Um, no. Captain Redcliffe is currently at hospital for a broken nose. He hasn't woken up yet. Our orders came directly from the Council."

"Who from, exactly?"

"I-I don't know. I was told them by a superior in my department." The man folded under her gaze and began to wring his hands together. "Look, Captain, I… I'm just doing my job. I was told to come here and arrest Miss Lavender pending charges. Can we take her with us?"

"No."

"No?"

"No," Yang agreed, ignoring the pained sound the man made. "I'm afraid she's currently a part of an investigation into the White Fang and we need her testimony. As you no doubt know the VSPR have our own charter and resources, and since this is _our_ jurisdiction, our claim to Lisa Lavender is strongest."

Maybe. She hoped so. To be completely honest she was bullshitting with the best of them right now, but you didn't get into as much trouble in Signal as she had without knowing how to spin a lie. Yang and her friends had been common sights in clubs and pubs, even before they were legally allowed to enter them. It was all about looking confident and sounding so certain of yourself that everyone else started to doubt their own opinion.

Judging from how the officers looked between themselves for answers, it was working. The woman shrugged, while the other man mumbled something about having no idea, leaving the leader to rely on his own wits.

On her part, Roman helped expedite the process by twirling his cane around his finger, whistling a jaunty tune which may or may not have been from a recent slasher movie. It worked wonderfully. The lead officer's face paled and he swallowed audibly.

"W-Well, I suppose there's nothing that can be done. T-Thank you for your time, Captain. We're sorry to have bothered you."

"No problem," she replied, grinning. "You're just doing your job after all. Sorry for having dragged you out here for nothing."

Yang watched as the three nodded and said their own farewells before they turned about and marched out of the building, moving a little faster than they necessarily had to. From the full-body windows they watched the officers practically sprint to their squad car, before they clambered in and pulled out of the parking lot.

They were gone barely ten seconds before Yang leapt into action. "Roman, I want you to catch up with Mercury and find out as much as you can from Lisa. Make sure she stays inside. I don't want her going `missing` on our watch. Miltia, Melanie, man the phones. If anyone calls for anything that isn't important, stall. If the Council calls, say I'm interviewing a suspect and take a message. Junior, can you call a doctor and get them over. I want Weiss looked at, but I don't want it being the hospital, _or_ anyone finding out. Make sure whoever you call can keep a secret." Yang watched the crew rush into action as she barked each order, doors opening and slamming as they went. She turned to the last person. "Neo…"

The mute girl stared at her. Yang stared back.

"Sit there and look good."

Neo made a dramatic salute and went back to reading a magazine. All orders given, everyone busy, Yang retired to her office and drew out a thick book on laws, alongside the charter of the VSPR that Ozpin had given her.

She had a feeling things were going to get a little rough.

/-/

It wasn't even thirty minutes before the first interruption came. Yang slammed the book shut and rubbed her forehead. She wasn't an idiot, not even close. When your dad was a teacher you couldn't afford to be dumb, but being top of her class in Signal and near the top in Beacon didn't do much for understanding the frankly labyrinthine laws of Vale. It hardly helped that the VSPR was an ill-planned and last-minute decision sort of thing, which meant their own charter contradicted the laws several times and didn't even make mention of other things.

"We're going to need a lawyer," Yang groaned.

The door slammed open before she could think to find one, Melanie rushing through with a pale face. Yang doubted she came with good news.

"Bad news."

 _Called it…_

"The Council is holding a crisis-resolution meeting tomorrow."

"How is that bad news?"

"We're not invited."

"Ah…"

"What we _are_ invited to, or more specifically _you_ , is a summons that will take place two hours before that," Melanie said. "The man who called sounded pompous as hell. I get the feeling this isn't an optional sort of deal."

"What time is that?" Yang asked, wondering if she had time to find a lawyer and get some advice. It was already nearing seven and most would be closed now.

"Ten in the morning."

Yang winced. "Ouch. They're really pushing it…"

Melanie would have none of it. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll have to attend."

"Not that," she said. "I mean _what_ are you going to do? You're not going to let the VSPR be shut down, right?" There was a certain edge to the girl's words. It wasn't aimed at Yang but rather the world at large, but she could understand it nonetheless. Melanie and her sister _needed_ the VSPR to work. They'd be sent back to prison without it.

"I'm not going to roll over and take their abuse if that's what you mean," Yang said. "Not unless I think rolling over will save the VSPR."

"R-Right… I knew you would. It's just…" Melanie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. The white-dressed twin was normally sure of herself but the call looked to have rattled her, somewhat understandably.

"I need the VSPR, too. Trust in me a little."

"Y-Yeah. I'll leave you to it, boss. Good luck."

Yang's confident smile faded when the door slammed shut. She'd put on a good show for Melanie's sake, but she had no idea what was going on, let alone how to put a stop to it. They'd done good work at the bank, that much was obvious – but this had `politics` written all over it and she'd never been taught how to deal with that.

"Qrow would just tell me to stay far away from politics and I doubt Dad knows anything about it. Ozpin would be the best bet, but is he even on my side?" Yang pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb. She could feel a headache already mounting. "We saved as many people as we could. It wasn't even our fault the Fang bomb went off and we limited casualties. It would have killed way more if we'd not been involved."

It just didn't make sense. Why would the Council be pissed off at them for that? Yang scowled and pushed herself up with one hand, skirting around her desk and pouring a small plastic cup of water from the cooler. She drank a little, and then splashed the rest in her face.

All their success so far had mostly come from momentum, luck, or quick thinking. She liked to think it was the latter since luck didn't mean much if you didn't take advantage of it. They'd acted on what little Intel they had and taken plenty of risks while doing it, avoiding stepping on too many toes as they did. She knew nothing about police procedures, but she'd smashed through it all with brute force and determination.

This wouldn't be the same, however. She couldn't beat up the Council. Instead, she needed someone who knew more about politics and how to deal with it. Yang growled and slammed her cup down on her desk, spilling water out over several newspapers stacked there. She stared down at them for a second. Her eyes widened. Of course!

The interrogation chambers were a little down the side and closer to the holding cells of the VSPR HQ. They were dull and without decoration, grey walls and small cell-like rooms with lockable doors and windows from which officers could watch people being questioned. Lisa Lavender wasn't technically a criminal, at least in their eyes, so she sat at one having a little more of a casual chat with Mercury and Roman, the latter smoking a cigar as he did. They all turned to face her as she burst through the door.

"Problem?" Mercury asked.

"Maybe. Can you go help the sisters up front? I need to talk with Lisa. Roman, you can stay but grab us a drink."

The two hurried to follow her orders, while Lisa looked at her a little uncertainly. The woman's lavender hair was a little frazzled with the occasional strand sticking out atop her head. Other than that, she carried herself well and sat with both hands on the table. It was perhaps better than anyone else could have managed considering what just happened.

"Miss Lavender," Yang began. "Can I call you Lisa? This'll be a lot easier if I can."

"Go for it," the woman laughed. "I owe you my life. You can call me whatever you like and I won't complain." She didn't seem nearly as frightened of them as the police earlier had. That was good.

"I've just had some people come to try and pick you up," Yang said. "They say the Council wants you arrested, which we know is true from what that twat Redcliffe said. Thing is, I don't understand why."

"It's politics," Lisa said.

"I had a feeling it would be. I'm not into politics, though. Being a huntress didn't really push me towards it, or caring about it. I figure you, on the other hand, might."

"Ha. You've got that right. Politics is my bread and butter – quite literally. I need to find good stories to stay employed and you can always rely on politics for that. Used to be able to rely on Roman, too, but he got himself arrested."

"You have my most profound apologies," Roman drawled, placing some bottles of beer down before them.

"You _liked_ Roman?" Yang asked, surprised.

"You make that sound so unbelievable…" he whined.

"It's not that I had any kind of favouritism for him," Lisa said, ignoring the theatrical man. "It's just that he was always good for stories. He hit hard and often, made the police look like idiots, prompted angry outcry from the Council and up until the end he never really got anyone hurt while doing so. He was good for business. I cut my teeth on his news stories. It was how I got started."

"That's me," Roman said. "Always doing my best to boost the local economy. I hear security companies loved me, too. I always kept reminding people why a good security system isn't something you skimp on."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Moving on… Do you have any idea why the Council would want to arrest you?"

"It's probably because of that broadcast we did. At least that's the only thing I can think of."

"Why?" Yang asked. "We did that to make people get away from the bank. Even if there was a little bit of panic that has to be better than the risk of people being poisoned. Why would they have an issue with that?"

"Oh, it's not that," Lisa laughed. "They'll say it is and they'll say we incited panic, endangered a police operation and all that, but the reality is that we got the message out before they could doctor it, and that makes them look bad. Think of it like this, every time we got a story about some scandal or other we had to think _real_ carefully about whether we ran it. On the one part it would be a huge story, but on the other it was going to piss off the one involved. You can do it against the odd Councillor, especially if they're not popular or you know there's enough of a scandal to drag them down, but you need to be careful with the higher ranked ones. Go against them and they'll tear you to pieces."

"Can they do that?" Yang asked. "I thought the media was supposed to be free of stuff like that?"

"In theory, yes, but reality is a very different thing. Even assuming they didn't just declare it false or lies, you need to remember that not all scandals carry the same weight. If we publish something that takes someone down then that's fine, but if they survive it – or if they had friends who weren't pleased to see them go – then that means there are people in power with a grudge against us. Sometimes they can't do much other than cut funding or neglect to invite us to official events, but we're not always that untouchable."

"My last Editor was fired for running a story a prominent politician didn't like," Lisa continued. "The CEO owed someone money and that debt was called in, giving a good man the boot. I've seen journalists struck off for doing their job and people threatened into silence. Hell, I've been blacklisted from one hospital for `poor behaviour` despite never having been to it before. My boss' son was denied a place at a good university where a politician he offended is a major patron and donor. The kid had perfect grades but was apparently `not inclusive` enough."

"That's horrible…"

"That's politics," Roman said. "A bunch of old men and women doing whatever it takes to cling on to some illusion of power. When you regularly make decisions on what kind of funding to give to hospitals and emergency services – literally killing people to save money – then how much of an issue is fucking over one person's life to preserve your own secrets?"

"Pretty much that," Lisa agreed, to Yang's utter disgust. "In this case we highlighted a potential hostage situation before the Council could put a happy spin on it. The fact that something like this could happen under their nose makes them look bad, but at least if they'd had a chance to deal with the media after, they could have controlled what got out. You'd all be hearing stories about how the `quick-thinking Council` diffused a situation that could have killed hundreds of people."

"And if that led to some outside being killed?"

"Then it's an awful tragedy that took the lives of innocents and the Council's prayers are with the victim's families." Lisa rolled her eyes at the last bit. "Like Roman said, they already make decisions over thousands of lives. Do you really think a couple of dead people bother them? Politics is about looking at the bigger picture. It's about choosing who lives or dies but making that choice based on statistics and numbers, not emotion. That's the theory anyway, and the world would be a nicer place if they stuck to that, but add in human greed and ambition and what you've actually got is a self-serving group of parasites trying to keep the status quo and raking in millions in lien as they do."

That… didn't sound good. Hell, it sounded horrifying, though Yang wasn't stupid enough to think Lisa and Roman were the most unbiased sources of opinion on the Council. It was hard to discount their warnings, though, especially with what was going on.

 _We basically took the credit for what happened at the bank, which is good for us – but made it clear we were the only ones able to deal with it. That makes the Council look bad even if they were the ones to create us in the first place._ She wasn't sure if they could shut the VSPR down, not with the public opinion they'd just gained, but they could probably do other things like limit their operations or maybe even remove her from the command.

That would be a death knell for the VSPR, especially if they put someone else in charge and ordered them to run the VSPR into the dirt. It would also mean her chances of getting back into Beacon and on her team would be dead and gone.

It couldn't happen.

"The Council want to speak to me tomorrow," Yang said, quickly filling the two in on the situation. "You got any idea what I can expect?"

"Nothing good," Lisa said. "They'll want me at least."

"To punish you…?"

"Maybe, but they might just force me to do something for them. Right now I'm the only journalist with any knowledge of what happened back there. What I say will effectively be fact, so if they get to me and `convince me` to change my story… well…"

"That can't happen," Roman said. "We need the good credit from this. We did all the heavy lifting and our very survival counts on people knowing that."

"I know, Roman." Yang said. "I know."

It wasn't that she wanted to give in either, but she wasn't sure what kind of options she had. The VSPR answered to the Council, as did everyone who worked in Vale. If she refused them then they'd have the evidence they needed to fire her. She couldn't actually say no to them.

Or could she?

"Say, Lisa… you're a journalist, right?"

"Journalist, newsreader and qualified camera woman," she boasted. "I've been through it all from behind the camera to in front of it. I worked my way up from the bottom."

"And how far did you have to go for a story?"

"Eh, it depends. Sometimes the stories fell in your lap but the big ones – the exclusives – ah, you really had to hunt those ones down." Lisa smiled viciously, recalling some of those times. "It's pretty cloak and dagger at times, though it's always the other person with the dagger. Sometimes you've got to make some shady deals, paying people to rat on colleagues or meeting informants who fear their jobs will be in danger if their bosses find out. You'd be surprised about the kinds of places I've had to go to when meeting someone. I had to go to an abandoned train yard with a suitcase of money once. That was vaguely terrifying."

It sounded it. It also sounded vaguely illegal, but she wasn't really interested in that. "You had to do a lot of digging, then. How would you normally go about that?"

"Well you'd start with a rumour in most cases, or maybe you'd see something that made you suspicious. The first thing you'd do is figure out who is involved and who stands to benefit, then you take all those people and you don't go anywhere near them." Lisa made a motion as if to throw something aside. "Instead, you figure out all the people around _them_ , then you go to them and you start digging. You look for people they've dissatisfied or employees who are underpaid or feel slighted. You inspect everything around them and look at what they're doing, where they're going, and who they're going with. If you want the story then you need to dig to the heart of it." The newsreader blinked up at Yang. "Why?"

Yang looked to Roman and smirked. To his credit, it didn't take him long to figure out what she was thinking. "We _do_ need an investigator," he said. "And no one's more dogged than those in the media. Especially if that story is the only way to get out of trouble."

"My thoughts exactly."

"What do you mean?" Lisa asked. "What do you want?"

Yang turned back to the woman and leaned forward. "We have reason to believe there's someone in the Council working with the White Fang." Lisa's eyes lit up. Yang knew right then and there that she had her. "It sound like a story you'd like to cover?"

"Y-Yes! Of course! Something like this… Gods, even ignoring the threat to the city, which I'm kind of partial to, the fallout alone would be titanic. I can't _not_ get involved."

"You could if you were in prison," Yang pointed out. "Or leashed to the Council's demands, which it looks like they're thinking of doing."

Lisa's smile fell. "Well, yes. But that's out of our hands now, isn't it? It's not like you can turn the Council down. They want me on sedition. Whether or not it's true they'll gain access to me and that'll be the end of it. My movements will be monitored. I'll have no option but to do what they want."

"Not if I get to your first." Yang reached up to bring her hand above the table. It slapped down beside Lisa's wrist, lazily snapping a pair of handcuffs onto her. The woman gawked. "The Council wants me to arrest you for sedition. They can't complain if I'm actively doing that. You're under arrest."

"W-What?"

"And tomorrow I'll have to take you there so they can process and sentence you," Yang continued, grinning all the while. "Well, unless you want to save us all the time and confess to your nefarious crimes now. Of course, that would make you a criminal."

Lisa glanced to Roman and then back to Yang. She then looked down to the VSPR badge and her eyes widened. "Oh…"

"Lisa Lavender. How do you plead?"

"Guilty of all charges."

"That's guilty of all charges, _Captain_ ," Yang said. "Welcome to the force."

/-/

"Is this wise?" Roman asked as he followed Yang out of the interview rooms. "The Council aren't going to be pleased."

"They're already unhappy with us. I don't see how one more thing is going to make it any worse." Yang accepted a folder that was handed to her and flicked it open with her chin. She balanced it on one hand, reading the contents. "What's this?"

"The after action report on the bank attack. It came from Vale Central but was forwarded to us for documenting purposes."

Yang winced, and winced again when she read a little further. It hadn't been nearly as bloodless as she would have liked. They had Fang to blame for that, since Grey's unit had stormed the place without a single casualty. Once Fang hit, though, there'd suddenly been a lot of people carrying automatic weaponry. It was perhaps inevitable that some people died, but knowing about it and reading about it were two different things.

"Damn it all to hell…"

"At least the Lieutenant got out safe," Roman said. "They found him in the vault all tied up. We saved his life at any rate. And the hostages. They got out safe and sound."

"But so many police died…"

"Yeah." Roman brought out a new cigar and lit it. He puffed out some smoke; the action somehow seeming more bothered than usual. "I won't lie, it was a bad show, even by my standards. Using poison like that, not to mention turning people against one another… the White Fang are crossing some serious lines with this. I can't say many faunus will be impressed with it. It's going to hit their recruitment."

"Then why are they doing it?" Yang hissed, and the question was asked not for the first time. It just didn't make sense. She scanned a bit more on the folder and snapped it shut with a scowl. The two walked on until they reached their destination and Yang opened the door with one foot, slipping inside.

Junior looked up from where he was talking to a man in a white coat. "Boss," he said, nodding. "I was just talking to the doctor here. Private consultant and medical, and he knows how to keep quiet. I've used him before."

"No you haven't," the bearded man with glasses said. "Not officially, anyway."

"That's the spirit," Junior laughed. He nodded to the door to the side. "Your girl is awake, boss. She… well, it's not my place to say but I think she could use someone to talk to."

Yang nodded and walked to the door. "That's why I'm here."

Weiss glanced up immediately when Yang entered the room. The heiress' eyes were bloodshot and not just from the Fang still in her system. It was obvious she'd been crying. Her hands were cupped beneath her chin and her face had rested in them but a moment before Yang arrived. She took in the scene in an instant, the scuffs and marks on Weiss' body, the grime on her once-pristine white outfit, and finally the tracks from the tears.

Yang's shoulders slumped the moment she saw her. Weiss looked so distraught, so broken, and the paleness of her skin didn't help, nor the bruises around her wrists and neck from where Yang had been forced to subdue her.

"Hey, Weiss-cream," Yang said. She managed a weak smile as she sat down beside the girl. Roman had followed alone but obviously thought twice about going anywhere near the bundle of emotions Weiss was. He stood by the door and crossed his arms.

"Y-Yang?" Weiss' voice was brittle. This time it wasn't just because of her pain, but obviously from the drug, too. There was a certain scratchiness to it, probably from when Weiss had roared angrily. "T-The Doctor told me what happened. He said the Fang got to me…"

"You were poisoned. Do you remember anything?"

"I… a little…" Weiss clenched her eyes shut and concentrated. "I remember the hostages being sent out and me helping with that. I remember a woman saying I was the last one. We were on our way downstairs when she called out. Something… no, I think something came down from the ceiling…"

"That would be the Fang virus. They set off a gas bomb and pumped the contagion through the vent system in the bank." It would all be common knowledge by now, so Yang didn't think twice about revealing it to Weiss. "Their intent was to lure the police in and then set off the gas so that it would be a massacre been the police and the hostages. Hell, they might have even intended to die with the hostages, painting the VPD as psychopaths who would kill all the hostages just to get a job done."

Weiss shook her head. "That's horrible. They… they've gone too far this time…"

"I know. Leave it to the police though. And for the love of everything, please don't let Blake or Ruby go charging into this." Yang hesitated to place a hand around Weiss' shoulders. She was still upset about everything they'd done, about Beacon. It only took the small girl's shoulders hitching to change her mind, however. With her one good arm, she pulled Weiss close against her. "Hey, it's okay. Fang doesn't stay in the system and no one's going to blame you for this."

"It's not that. I… I can't remember what happened." She gripped her head between both hands. "I just remember being angry, so angry, and… even if I can't remember things exactly, I can feel a little of what happened. My arms hurt, my fingers especially, and my face." Her eyes narrowed. "My teeth, too."

"You bit me," Yang said.

"I did what!?"

"Bit me," she repeated, flashing her wrist. It itched vaguely. "Not very deep, though. As for the rest I _did_ have to restrain you after you went berserk. I didn't have the luxury to be nice about it. Sorry."

Weiss shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you did it. I… Yang, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

"Did I…" Weiss' words broke off. She bit her lip and tightened her hands into fists. Her shoulders stiffened and her eyes closed. She took in three deep breaths, slowly letting each go in an attempt to regain control. Only when she was finished did she speak, though her eyes remained fixed onto her hands. "I know what Fang does, Yang. I can't remember anything about what happened, but… did I... did I hurt anyone?"

"Is that what's gotten you so beat up?"

"I know it wouldn't be my fault," Weiss babbled, "but did I, Yang? Did I…? I just can't remember and, well, I'm a huntress. I'm stronger and faster than most people and…"

Yang cut her off with a quick one-armed hug. "You silly girl," she laughed. "You didn't hurt anyone. You _saved_ people."

Weiss' eyes slowly rose to meet hers. They were filled with unshed tears. "W-What?"

"You saved people," Yang repeated, smiling. "Think about it, Weiss. The hostages all got out, which meant the only people left in there was you and a bunch of people with guns. When the Fang got in some of the officers were infected and opened fire on one another. There were deaths, I'll admit," Yang paused to sigh, but continued when Weiss whimpered, "but you didn't cause any of them. The White Fang did. You were unarmed, and yeah, you're stronger than most people, but they weren't exactly untrained civilians either."

Yang laughed and leaned into her teammate, rubbing a hand on her head like she might have Ruby once upon a time. Weiss wasn't a child, but right now she was terrified, and rightly so. The heiress didn't complain and might even have leaned into her, seeking comfort.

"You disarmed a load of people, Weiss-cream. Things would have been worse if you _weren't_ there. I guess not even the Fang Virus can stop you being little miss perfect, huh?"

"I… wha… but…?" Weiss stared at her like she wasn't sure what she was seeing, let alone hearing. Relieved tears pooled in her eyes. With her pale skin and red eyes, not to mention the obvious nausea, she looked like a terminally ill patient who had just been told a cure had been developed. "I… I didn't hurt anyone?"

"Oh, you hurt them. But that probably saved them from doing something they'd regret for the rest of their lives, so I have a feeling they'll forgive you, or even thank you. You're not angry I stopped you, right?"

"N-No. Absolutely not… I can't even begin to think how terrible it would have been if I'd gotten outside. My face is so recognisable, and my name, the White Fang would have loved to see me go crazy amongst a group of civilians." Some of Weiss' confidence returned, along with some indignant anger. "Those monsters. I thought Cinder was bad, but this is so much worse. I hope they're brought to justice!"

"They will be," Yang promised. "But leave it to us, okay? I'm looking into it personally. Please don't pull a Blake on me."

"Hmph. I seem to recall you weren't exactly resistant to the idea of us attacking Torchwick initially. I hardly think you can call it `doing a Blake` when you were just as complicit."

Yang laughed. "Hey, I was younger and stupider back then. I've grown up."

"It's been less than three months, Yang."

"Yeah, but a lot has happened in three months…"

Cinder, Beacon, the Grimm, the loss of her arm, the loss of her position in Beacon… the list went on and the casual mention of it cast a pall on the conversation, creating a silence that felt all the more awkward for the fact they were sat so closely together, Weiss still weak and leaning on her for support. The heiress didn't say a word, and Yang wasn't sure what to say either.

 _Me and my big mouth,_ she groaned.

"Yang, I… I really am sorry…"

"You didn't do anything."

"Not about this," she said, shaking her head angrily. "About what happened before, about Beacon. I… I knew you weren't going to be accepted back in, and it was our responsibility to tell you. It was _my_ responsibility. But I didn't. I was a coward. I was so worried about you, and we didn't know if you were going to live, and then you did and we were so happy. I… I knew at the time that we should have been honest, but I was just so _relieved_ to see you were okay. I was just so desperate to cling onto that, to forget the fact we'd nearly lost you, that I couldn't bring myself to tell you what had been decided."

Weiss was babbling, rambling. Yang's mind wasn't much better and even though she tried to speak, no words came forth. That was fine for Weiss, who it seemed had a thousand or more to say.

"And it was the coward's route, Yang. I was a coward, an absolute coward. I hid behind a lie because the truth was too hard to accept and I was afraid of what you'd say or do. We kept pretending everything was going to be okay but it wasn't and we knew that. That was my fault and… and I miss you. I miss us being a team. I miss… I just hate us being enemies all the time, Yang. I hate this arguing!"

"Weiss, I-" She didn't get to finish. Weiss tackled her, and had it not been for how weak the girl was she might have knocked Yang off the bed. As it was, she caught herself with her one hand, instinctively wrapping her stump as far around Weiss' back as she could. Weiss' emotions, normally locked tight behind a thousand-foot tall barrier, broke. The day had been a long one and it seemed Weiss had finally had enough. She cried into Yang's chest.

"I'm so sorry, Yang," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

Yang patted her back with her one hand.

Did `sorry` make everything better? Did saying sorry forgive Weiss the betrayal, or the pain she'd been through? Yang wasn't sure, but she suddenly felt tired of it all. It still stung, but the wound was dull and Weiss was in tears, in genuine pain and showing more remorse than she'd ever expected from the normally proud girl. It was hard to hold onto her anger, especially when it was mixed with concern for her teammate. She'd been through Hell. It sounded like Weiss felt guilty enough about it as it was.

"It's fine, Weiss."

"It's not."

"Okay, it kind of isn't," she accepted, "but I'll forgive you. I _do_ forgive you. I… I can at least understand why you did it, even if it hurt me." She was no stranger to fear, after all. It made people do stupid things.

"Are we friends again?" Weiss croaked.

"We never stopped being friends, Weiss. People argue and get into fights. It just hurts all the more when it's with someone you care about."

"I… I think I can see that now." Weiss tried to pull herself away and Yang allowed it. The heiress' eyes were red with tears, but her smile was nothing short of beautiful. The double relief of the Fang and now this had the girl hiccupping, but she looked happy. Relieved. "The others are sorry, too," she said.

Yang held up a hand to stop her.

"Don't apologise for them, Weiss. Things like this… they need to happen normally. We need to sort it out between us. All of us do."

She nodded. "I think I understand. It's… It's good to be able to talk to you again."

"Heh, you too." Yang grinned but was forced to sigh when Roman coughed. "Duty calls, though. I have to get back to work. Just so you know, there's not going to be any charges over what happened. No way is anyone going to try to convict a victim for what the White Fang did. Just focus on getting better and continuing your lessons at Beacon. I'll sort things out. If I need any comment I'll message you, okay?"

Weiss swallowed and nodded. She was still struggling past the relief of learning her actions hadn't killed anyone, and that alone left her weak. "I understand. Thank you, Yang. For this _and_ for stopping me. I'm glad it was you."

"Heh, me too. Get some rest, Weiss-cream. I've had Junior contact Beacon. Glynda will come to pick you up soon."

Weiss nodded and laid down, resting one arm over her eyes. She was probably still sick from the after-effects of the Fang, and of being beaten unconscious by her. She'd recover, though. Weiss was strong like that.

Roman followed her as she left the room, shutting the door behind her and marching down the corridor. "So, you can be a normal girl after all," he said. "That was quite the cutesy display. I almost feel ill."

"Can it, Roman. Weiss is my friend. I'm not going to leave her like that if I can help it."

"Hmm." He took the file from earlier and flipped through it, before he closed it with a sigh and tucked it under one arm. "You read through this, I take it."

"I did."

"Twelve killed from crossfire," he said. "But six killed in another way. Broken necks, strangulation, and one officer with her throat practically torn out. The indents from fingernails suggest it was done with someone's bare hands. A woman's bare hands."

Yang came to a halt. Roman did the same behind her. She took a deep breath and held it. In a long sigh, she let it go. "The White Fang have a lot to answer for," she said. "That's all I'll say. That's all anyone will ever say. Am I understood?"

"As you say, Captain." Roman came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even realised her body was shaking until he did. "For what it's worth that was a good thing you did."

Yang nodded. She appreciated it, even if it was from someone like him. Like she'd said, no one was going to charge anyone for this, not when it was so clearly a tragedy. Weiss didn't need to know the truth.

She didn't need to know what she'd done.

* * *

 **Quick wind down for the bank heist and we're leaping into the next arc next chapter. Yes, Weiss' rampage was about as bloodless as one might have expected. I wonder how many were thinking "Weiss killed no one? That's a little contrived" as they were reading that part. Sadly, the reality of someone that could send huntresses and huntsmen into a berserk fury is far less kind.**

 **And the VSPR gains a new member, though not a combat one by any means. Roman and Yang said they needed some kind of investigative detective, and who better for the role than a journalist in search of the story that might clear her name? Heh, that could be a story in its own right.**

 **Some of what she talked about on journalism is from personal experience, by the way. I did have to meet someone in an abandoned train yard with money once, though it was for a settlement on plagiarism not information. I convinced them to settle out of court, but since they felt it would "tarnish their reputation" if they did, they demanded it be done in secret, and then followed the cagiest meeting of my** _ **life**_ **.**

 **But I was also summoned to Westminster once to meet with an MP who demanded to know why I had run a story which might potentially have damaged the British beef industry and cost us trade deals (BSE Crisis). When I responded, "Because it was true" she lambasted me for a short-sighted fool and warned me against doing anything of the kind again. Later, when I worked alongside ambulances as a first responder, I discovered that I'd been "blacklisted" from any jobs ever working for a Government body. They could see it, since the NHS counted on that list. Scary.**

 **And yeah, Weiss and Yang made up. It felt impossible for either of them to hold a grudge considering what they just went through. That doesn't mean Team RWBY is fixed, not by a long shot.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**So, we have** _ **another**_ **fanart for Captain Dragon, which makes this one of my most fan-arted pieces of Fanfiction, despite being one of my less popular (by numbers) works. That's pretty cool. The art is by Jack Wayne, and even manages to use the badge design from Thatrandom to show the full VSPR team at attention. You can check it out in more detail on his deviant art, or by putting his name and "Captain Dragon" into Google.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

"They're going to vilify you."

"I realise that."

"And yet you're still going?"

Yang sighed and leaned on the table, her lone hand atop the woodwork. She appreciated Roman's concern, if it was even that and not just him not wanting to go back to jail, but right now she had other things to worry about. "What am I supposed to do? I've been summoned. I can't not go."

"Send Neo," he suggested. "Sure, it'll be a tragedy when all the council members turn up dead, but it'll save you some time."

"It's a nice thought, but no," she said, not really thinking about it at all. "I'll be fine, Roman. I can stick up for myself if I need to."

"In combat maybe, sure, but this is different. They're not going to give you a chance to swing your fists or stand your ground. They'll use words to crush you, pillory you in front of one another and then the media. You'll be cast as a scapegoat and thrown to the wolves."

"And none of that will be any different if I don't go!" she snapped, voice rising angrily. "Damn it, Roman. Do you think I don't realise what's going to happen? Do you think I'm not already worried about it? I am. I'm scared stiff! I'm just trying not to show it since those old fossils will smell it a mile away."

The thief watched her warily, noting her rising and falling breasts, the signs of her anger, but also the fear in her eyes. He broke eye contact, fumbling in his coat for a cigar and grumbling to himself. When he brought them out he offered one to her.

"I don't smoke."

"Neither did I, once," he said. "Desperate times, though. It'll calm you down."

"I'll pass, but thank you." Yang sighed and sat on the edge of the desk. There was no way everyone outside hadn't heard her outburst – and the nosey bastards were probably listening at the door. Still, none dared enter. They were probably happy to leave Roman to deal with it. "I'll do everything I can to keep the VSPR going. You can trust me on that one. I'm not going into this blind, nor am I expecting them to be kind. I'll fight however I need to, and if that means taking some risks, then so be it."

Roman huffed and shook his head. "It's weird to imagine you as a thinker. You never looked like someone who used their brain when you were chasing me. Not when you were punching a robot through a concrete pillar anyway."

"I'm not an idiot," Yang said. "I just… never really had to think about things. Ruby was my team leader and she did it well. Weiss liked to plan, Blake was always quiet and, well, I liked to goof off and cut loose every now and then."

But that was personal choice, not stupidity. She could think when she had to and she'd been one of the best students in Signal for a reason.

"Alright, boss. I'll trust you on this one. You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

She would, strangely enough, but it wasn't a good idea. Roman would take a little heat off her, what with being such a reviled figure, but that wouldn't be a good image to put forward, especially if she was being accused of being reckless. If there was any other media there, she'd rather they didn't put her picture next to Vale's most wanted.

"I'll be fine. I'm not entirely helpless."

/-/

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long of the VSPR."

Yang stood at the end of a long, wooden table. The Council Chambers were in the Town Hall building of Vale, the same place she'd visited before once the Fang Virus hit. This time it was less busy, with little more than her and the seven councillors, arrayed around the table staring at her, each of them frowning.

She'd been whisked into the meeting without any time to prepare, nor a chance to defend herself or find out what it was she was in trouble for. She had her ideas, of course. But the whole thing stank of them not wanting to give her time to prepare. They wanted her on edge, nervous, and liable to make a mistake.

Honestly, it was like being dragged before the head in Signal, who would always have her dad and uncle there if he could, sat watching her with disappointed expressions. This was more serious, perhaps, but she drew on the experience and forced herself to act calm. They'd just use anything she said against her. It was better to let them speak first.

"I asked if that was your name," the man who had spoken called. He was elderly, or maybe even ancient, with white hair and beady eyes. He looked like he hadn't smiled in decades and like he might keel over and die if he tried.

"It is," she said.

"Do you think it a joke not to answer?"

"No, sir. I assumed that since you addressed me by both my name and my title, and as you summoned me, that you knew exactly who I was. I apologise for making that assumption. My name is Yang Xiao-Long, Captain of the VSPR."

"As the current elected head of the Council of Vale, I, Warren Coppersmith, call this hearing in progress." The moment he finished, his lips peeled back. "And you, Captain, appear to be mocking us."

"No, sir. You asked me a question and I answered. I'm new to the position, as you know, so please forgive any uncertainty on my part. I believed it polite to let you speak and not interrupt."

He sneered at her but could do little more, since calling her out would only make him look worse in the eyes of his fellows. The passive-aggressiveness from her was her own little way of regaining control, though according to Lisa it wasn't a bad idea, either.

" _No one in the council is loyal to anyone else and they all want power,"_ She'd said. _"If you can turn themselves against one another, you might find some unlikely allies. They'll side with you if they see a chance to further their own ends. Unite them, on the other hand, and you'll learn first-hand how they got to the positions they hold today."_

Words weren't her forte. Smashing faces was. Still, she'd have to learn, and fast.

"You have been summoned here to answer for the actions you took yesterday," another Councillor, a woman, said. "That _debacle_ has been all over the news, and your unauthorised news broadcast started a panic among the populace. What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

"Honoured Councillor, I am a Captain of the VSPR," Yang said. "Not a young lady." It was important they weren't allowed to see her as a child, after all. "As for the broadcast it was the only way of communicating the threat of the Fang Virus to the population gathered outside. Had the virus spread out of the main building and into the crowds there, the loss of life would have been huge."

"And so you sought to cause a panic that might cause just as much damage?"

"There were some minor injuries among those who ran, but nothing major." Her words caused the woman to flinch. They obviously hadn't expected her to read up on the reports, or to consult the hospitals for exact numbers. "On the other hand, eighteen people died due to the Fang Virus inside the bank. I think that proves just how deadly the threat was at the time. Would you have allowed the people outside to die, ma'am?"

"This isn't a meeting to question me," Celeste quickly defended. "And you will address me as Madam, or Lady Celeste, as per my station!"

"It may not be a meeting to question you, but you believe I made the wrong decision, Lady Celeste," Yang said, giving in to the request. "What do you feel was the correct one? Should I have risked the lives of the civilians outside?"

One of the other councillors turned their gaze from Yang to look at the councillor who had been posed the question. The woman backtracked, refusing to speak for a moment as she considered the answer. While there was no media inside to record the meeting that didn't mean what she said couldn't be used against her. A single ill-advised comment might find itself leaked to the press, especially if it would pave the way for someone else – or their allies – to take her position.

And, of course, there was no way the woman could actually _say_ Yang's decision was a bad one. Not when she'd made it so binary. Save lives or condemn them. No middle ground. If it had been her and the woman there, she'd have already won. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

"Be that as it may," Warren said, coming to his colleague's defence. "Your actions may have worked out in the end, but the risks taken were dangerous. You could not be assured the Fang Virus would make its way outside, nor could you be assured there would _be_ no fatal or crippling injuries as a result of the panic you caused. You were lucky, Captain. But luck has a tendency to run out, and decisions that affect lives should not be based on it."

Yang gritted her teeth and remained quiet. There wasn't much she could say to that, but since it wasn't a question she didn't have to. She stood as calmly as she could and tried not to seem weak or afraid. Her stump hardly helped, already making her look a cripple.

"Do you have anything to say with regards to that, Captain?"

"I weighed the risks and believed them worth it," she said. "I felt the threat to human life would be greater if the crowds stayed. It wasn't a hasty decision." A lie, of course, but hardly one she could admit to. If they thought it was on impulse they'd have their excuse to kick her out. "I considered all the options available."

"The same as when you released Roman Torchwick, a dangerous criminal, from incarceration?" Celeste sniped.

Yang nodded warily. She hadn't expected them to talk about Roman. It was a good job she hadn't brought him. "I thought this meeting was to be about the incident at the bank."

"This meeting is about your future," another member of the council intoned. "As such it's only correct to speak of _all_ of your actions in the last few weeks."

Not good. Yang tensed. "We discovered the Fang Virus before it could affect the entire city."

"That speaks well of you, but if I recall that was a _joint effort_ between the VSPR and our local police, who all showed up at the Middivale facility."

"Only because we had the hostages alert them."

Warren waved a hand dismissively. "That can be ascertained at some other point, Captain. At the moment it is mere speculation."

What!? The bastards! They were trying to take away the VSPR's biggest success, and it didn't take a leap of logic to figure out who they wanted to lay it down on. The Council of Vale saves the day again. She felt sick to her stomach.

"The fact remains that despite what limited successes you have experienced, the VSPR's recent decisions under your leadership have been nothing short of hot-headed. We approved the release of several criminals to staff it, but only those whose crimes were relatively minor. Roman Torchwick was _not_ among that list, nor was his associate, who evaded capture but now works for you."

"Neo is a valuable member of the team…"

"And a criminal who did not pay for her crimes," Warren snapped. "By hiring her, you prevented the public from seeing a sentence for the girl and gaining closure. Lives were lost in the battle between Cinder Fall and Atlas, and _you_ have helped to twist the knife in those wounds!"

"We-"

"Silence!" He slammed his hand on the table, shaking it. "It is apparently clear that you are not prepared for the responsibilities that have been erroneously handed down to you. You are a child playing at being an adult and your decisions reflect this."

"My decisions saved lives," Yang interrupted, seeking to regain control before it escalated beyond any hope of recovery. "You're suggesting I should have taken decisions that would put people in danger."

"We are not suggesting anything of the sort, Captain. For what it's worth I believe your heart is in the right place. You truly do wish for the best for those involved." Lady Celeste paused to bask in the congratulatory praise from her colleagues, all impressed with her kindness in such a compliment. "But good intentions are not all that is required to lead. Experience is a must, and you have precious little, my dear."

"I've gotten more results than the previous captains of the unit!"

"With great risks taken each and every time. That only reinforces my point as to your readiness for the position."

"Is this even a hearing anymore?" Yang demanded. "It sounds like you all made your minds up before I even arrived!"

"Your childishness does you no credit," Celeste said with an arrogant smile. "Perhaps when you're older you'll begin to see the wisdom in our decision."

"I believe that we have heard enough," Warren decided. "I am not convinced we need time to debate the matter."

"What about time for me to defend myself?" Yang almost howled. She took a step forward, hand to her chest. "You haven't even heard my side of the story. Where is the investigation? Where is the evidence?"

"You broke a well-known officer's nose."

"He was being a dick!" Yang growled, losing what little control she had on her temper. "And how is that even relevant to this conversation?" She couldn't lose this now; not when they were so close. It wasn't just for the sake of the VSPR, but for her chance to get back onto her team. She couldn't lose that!

And screw the warnings. She was going down already, so she might as well have a last ditch shot. Yang strode forward and slammed her hand down on the table, cutting Warren Coppersmith off before he could even think of talking.

"This is politics," she spat. "This is a half-assed attempt to take what _we_ did and try to use it for your own benefit. You're not upset at the panic caused but the fact that it exposed your weaknesses. Well that's just great, but _my_ job is to stop the White Fang and that's what I've been focused on."

She pierced each councillor in turn, making notes of those that looked away. Celeste sneered and Warren was unmoved, but the others weren't quite the same. One or two almost looked ashamed. A rare glimpse of empathy, perhaps, or maybe even guilt. Whatever it was, she needed it.

"The White Fang had the Fang Virus in pill form a week ago, but it's already airborne and that means they can set off bombs like it all over the city. Do you think there's even going to _be_ an election for you to run in if that happens? All of Vale is going to go up in smoke, and it's going to make whatever Cinder had planned look like a _joke_ in comparison. I can stop it." Yang slammed her hand back against her chest. "I've already stopped it once. But I can only do that if you allow me to. If you get rid of me here, you'll just enable the White Fang to finish off Vale once and for all!"

"You need me," she hissed, running out of steam. "You need the VSPR."

Silence dominated the chamber. The seven who ruled Vale stared at her, some shocked at her outburst, others nervous, but the two who appeared in control – Warren and Celeste – unmoved. Warren's beady eyes narrowed and the wrinkles on his face grew ever more pronounced. He leaned over to whisper something to the man on his left, and the wiry man nodded.

"The VSPR will remain," Warren said. "We do not dispute that it is required. You, however, will not."

"No…"

"Yang Xiao-Long, you are hereby stripped of command of the VSPR. A replacement will be selected and installed by ourselves. You will be allowed to leave with dignity, and your services to Vale will be remembered."

Yang's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe. The whole world seemed to sway around her and for a moment she feared she might collapse. Her single hand fell to the table once more, but this time she leaned on it for support. "You can't do this," she whispered. "You can't just end it like this. T-There has to be a vote, surely."

"There does not."

"There does, actually," a new voice echoed, right as the door behind her opened. Two men strode through. General Ironwood looked tall and imposing as ever, but it was Ozpin who had spoken, and who moved into the room with the tell-tale clicking of his cane. "Councillor Warren, it's good to see you in fine health. I wasn't made aware of this meeting. Odd, since I have my seat on the Council as part of my duties."

"Beacon is still in a state of recovery," Warren deflected. "We didn't wish to bother you."

"How kind." Ozpin nodded graciously, but his eyes sought Yang's. He smiled subtly. "However, I can assure you that this is no bother at all and I hurried here the moment I found out. As the man responsible for placing Miss Xiao-Long in charge of the VSPR, I believe my inclusion here should be pertinent. After all, to criticise her placement is to criticise my decision, no?"

A bubble of hope, desperate and weak, surfaced within her. She stared at Ozpin, mouth open and heart beating wildly in her chest. Was he here to help her? Was he actually going to come in on her side? It seemed impossible, and yet he _had_ been the one to put her where she was. If she was dismissed like this it might weigh badly on him.

"No one is criticising your leadership, Ozpin," Celeste simpered. Her smile might have been called flirtatious were it not for the plastic nature of it, "especially not after you helped to stop Cinder Fall from harming Vale."

"Thank you, Miss Celeste. I do my best for Vale and its people."

"I would question why General Ironwood is here," Warren said gruffly. "While his presence in Vale is always reason for pleasure, this is a matter of Vale's Council and the inner workings of our law enforcement. It is not something anyone from Atlas should have to waste their time with."

"I am here because Ozpin wished to speak with me about the recent spate of terrorist attacks," General Ironwood stated. He remained immovable under the gaze of the elderly politician. His eyes were sharp, and for a moment they flicked to her. Yang could have sworn she saw something in them. Interest, perhaps.

"That does not explain why you need to be here for this meeting, General."

"Does it not? I was under the impression any and all evidence related to this new `Fang Virus` was discovered by the VSPR, specifically under the leadership of this young woman."

"That has yet to be fully established," Celeste said, turning her attentions on the tall man.

"Has it? I have already spoken with a witness at the bank, whose testimony supported this version of events. This individual, who is a resident and recognised citizen of Atlas, owes her life and more to the VSPR's actions. Unless you are accusing her of lies, that is."

Weiss! She must have told her sister about what happened, and that would have made it back to Ironwood. Had she just gained the protection of the SDC because of what she'd done? The scandal would have been huge, and while that hadn't even crossed her mind when it came to protecting Weiss, that didn't mean others wouldn't see it that way.

"We would not make such an accusation against an Atlas citizen without meeting them..."

"Good. Until then I believe I should be here," Ironwood said. "I would also like to speak to the Captain sometime after this meeting. I believe we can combine efforts to eradicate the White Fang threat once and for all."

"I'd be happy to," Yang piped up.

"You speak out of line, girl," Warren interrupted, shooting her a glare. He turned to Ironwood with a politer expression. "When a new Captain has been established I'm sure they will be willing, but Miss Xiao-Long has been stripped of her position."

Ironwood's eyes narrowed. It was a scary look, even for her, and several of the councillors wilted. Ozpin smiled and refused to intervene, letting the taller man intimidate the politicians. "On what charges?"

"The charges are varied," Celeste tried.

"Then I would hear them all. And I would ask that Atlas be allowed to represent the defence in this matter."

The woman's face paled. "T-The defence…?"

"I think it's obvious the Captain disagrees with the charges," he said, gesturing to her. "As such there must be a hearing. I have already had word from the SDC stating they will fund the defendant with attorneys and legal support as required." That caused many of the councillors to blanch. "I, too, will speak on her behalf, and lend the support of my military staff for the prosecution should you wish it."

"A generous offer," Ozpin prompted. "It would remove any suggestions of corruption in the procedure."

"Suggestions of corruption, Ozpin?" Warren sniped. "Are you suggesting something?"

"Am I, Councillor? I'm honestly not so certain." The headmaster stepped forward and took a seat on the end of the council. It was still opposite her, but the way the nearest members shied away from him made it clear they didn't consider him an ally.

On the other hand, with the fact that Ozpin had been credited with saving _all of Vale_ from Cinder, there was no going against him. It would be political suicide on a grand scale. Judging from the nauseous look on Lady Celeste's face, she knew it.

"There should be a vote," Ozpin said, "and perhaps also a hearing. If you wish to pursue this matter, that is. Unfortunately, I believe the current crisis with the White Fang will take precedence, so both issues should be shelved for now. It would not do for the people to believe we are not putting our full efforts into fixing this problem."

"The girl is untested, Ozpin," Warren said. "She isn't ready."

"We were all untested once, Coppersmith. I have faith in her."

"She has released a dangerous criminal into Vale!"

"And controlled him," Ozpin pointed out. He looked to her and raised an eyebrow. "Have there been any cases of Torchwick acting out, Captain?"

"None," Yang answered, still a little breathless, but finally realising that there might be a future after all. She didn't say any more, too afraid to mess up.

"Hm. There you have it, then. I believe actions speak louder than words and the Captain has managed to turn one of the enemy's most influential agents against them. While I do not personally condone her choice to hire Roman Torchwick, I cannot find it in myself to critique the results presented to me." He turned to the other councillors, ignoring Warren entirely. "Can anyone else here?"

Such was Ozpin's presence that the politicians couldn't just ignore him. Not in front of General Ironwood. One or two shook their heads, agreeing with him, while others mumbled under their breath but didn't answer. None disagreed, even if Celeste looked like she was sucking on a lemon.

"Well, I do not hear any complaints. Since Miss Xiao-Long has not submitted her resignation, I believe the matter would need to go through a disciplinary hearing as the General suggests. Would you like to pursue that, Warren?" Ozpin smiled. "Of course, I believe I will offer evidence in the Captain's defence. And a matter such as this would certainly deserve some media attention."

Warren Coppersmith looked furious. The wrinkles on his face deepened and he drew in a deep breath. His eyes sought Yang's, and they were not pleased. He looked away a moment later.

"A prolonged hearing may not be in the city's best interests, Ozpin. We can't afford for people to be distracted at a time where the White Fang remain a threat."

"I'm pleased to see you agree, Warren," Ozpin said. "In that regard I think it would be for the best to let this matter lay for now. We can seek to confront the Captain after the White Fang threat has been dealt with."

"But her actions-"

"Enough Celeste," Warren snapped. "Ozpin and the General have made their points. We shall see if their _optimism_ in regard to the girl is rewarded. But you should beware, Ozpin. The public can be fickle. Should she fail, you might find your name dragged through the mud with hers."

"The difference between you and I, Warren, is that I do not overmuch care what others think of me," Ozpin said, standing. He moved toward the door but paused to speak quietly as he passed by her. "Come, Captain. It wouldn't do to disturb the council any further."

Yang didn't need to be told twice. She scampered after him, not even sparing a glance for the council left behind. Even so, she could feel their glares digging into her spine. She had the feeling this wasn't over. And that she'd made some powerful enemies.

/-/

"Take a seat," Ozpin offered, doing the same himself. Yang had no idea where they were – somewhere private in the town hall building – but she slumped bonelessly into the one offered, too relieved for words, or to stay standing.

General Ironwood entered behind her, closing the door softly behind him. He moved over to a water cooler and poured out three plastic cups, pushing one into Yang's hand. "Drink," he said. "You look like you need it."

"T-Thanks." Yang winced at her stutter and took a long drink. She hadn't realised her throat was so parched.

"You needn't be embarrassed about what happened," Ozpin said. "Older men and women have quailed before the Council. From what I can see you held yourself well, though that won't necessarily endear you to them."

"I don't know what happened in there," Yang admitted, finally relaxing. She put the cup down and cringed into the palm of her hand. "I… I thought it was just going to be a telling off or a warning. I didn't expect them to try and get rid of me like that."

"Neither did I, and I would have been there to stop it had I known. You should thank your friend for alerting me."

"My friend…?"

"I received a call on my emergency scroll. The man claimed to be a friend of yours and explained the situation. He said his name was Vincent."

Vincent Saint-Sinclair. He'd saved her. Gods, and she still had no idea who he was or who he worked for. But it looked like the whole `friends` thing had been taken even further than she'd expected. She owed him for this. Big time.

"You have friends in interesting places, Yang. It would take connections to find my number like that, let alone to discover what it is the Council had planned for you."

"She has enemies in high places now as well," Ironwood said.

"James, please. She's shaken enough as it is."

"Shaken but in one piece. She doesn't have time to rest, and her continued position will only last so long as she leads her unit to success." The General stared at her gruffly, but not unkindly. "You've done well so far, Captain. Don't slack now."

Praise from General Ironwood? The world must be ending. Even so, she felt some strange pride at it – mostly because of how honest it had to be. "Thank you, sir. And thanks to you as well, headmaster. I'd have been screwed without you."

"Well, consider it the repaying of a favour. You did help protect Miss Belladonna, and by extension Beacon, from some rather nasty criminal charges. And you protected Miss Schnee, as well."

"Winter sends her utmost regards for that," Ironwood said. "She'd have liked to be here herself to thank you, but asked me to do so in her stead."

"It's fine. Weiss is my friend."

The man nodded, pleased with the answer. "You have skilled students, Ozpin. Very adaptive, even in difficult circumstances. Would that my military had people like her."

"Miss Xiao-Long is not currently my student, old friend."

Yang felt a little frustration at that, more at the casual way he said it than the meaning. She knew her place, but by hell or high water she was going to win it back.

"No. She's the Captain of an anti-terrorist unit. Part of me thinks that serves you better."

Ozpin smiled. "Perhaps it does."

The shock was enough to jolt Yang's system. Her hand clenched the table's edge, threatening to crack it, and she stared at the headmaster with wide eyes and an open mouth. "You're _using_ me?" she asked. She wasn't sure if she was more amazed at the idea or the fact he was blatantly admitting it.

"That is a negative way of putting it, Yang. My decision to require a year of training and rest from you was made solely for your own benefit." He nodded to her severed arm. The fact that she tried to hide it wasn't missed by either of them. "If any student of mine suffered a debilitating injury I would require some level of recovery before I allowed them back into the academy. It would be a disservice to you and your family for me to ignore the risks and send you out against the Grimm when you are not ready for it. I had already spoken to your father. He was prepared to train you in fighting one-armed, to prepare you to re-enter Beacon. That would take time, however."

"I want to be with my team…"

"The world is bigger than Beacon. You would recover being a year behind your team, but no one would recover you being killed in an engagement because you were not ready for it. Regardless, we're not here to talk about that. You asked for a second chance. I gave you one."

"A doomed one," she argued. "The VSPR was set to be disbanded in days. I'd have been sent home after losing the deal with you!"

"And yet you were not. You turned it around, made it your own, and discovered a plot that might have embroiled Vale in chaos." Ozpin's face was deadly serious. "Did you imagine that being my agent would be _easy_? I regret to inform you that it is not."

"You neglected to inform me of anything!"

"It's a failing of his," Ironwood said.

"I thought it was obvious," Ozpin protested. "In what world would I put a seventeen-year-old girl in charge of a police unit? Do you imagine I hand out positions of power to any who storm into my office and make demands of me?"

Well, now that he mentioned it. Yang's face coloured. It hadn't even crossed her mind to ask about that, nor to wonder why he hadn't turned on her once she succeeded. If he'd _really_ wanted her to fail then he wouldn't have let her keep going. Or he wouldn't have given her the chance in the first place.

"I'm no one's pawn," she said defiantly. "I'm only doing this for myself, so I can get back onto Team RWBY."

"And that deal is still open to you. You're aware that your uncle does… special tasks for me."

"He's mentioned he does a few jobs."

"A little more than a few, my dear. Remnant is a dangerous place and there are many who would see us destroyed. People like Cinder, and some that are even worse. I have your uncle investigating some of those individuals, keeping an eye on them as it were. Recently, the White Fang have begun to act up however, and I hoped the VSPR would be a solution to that. It was not. It lacked leadership."

"You can't tell me I was your first choice of that," Yang said. "I'm not even the leader of my own team in Beacon!"

"No, but you are determined," he said. "Sometimes _desire_ can outweigh ability. Those who want something badly enough will stop at nothing to achieve it."

More like she was desperate enough. She might not have thought it before but time with Roman and the others had changed her perspective on some things, or at least made her more cynical. Determination and desperation weren't so far apart, but what Ozpin meant was that he'd seen how much she wanted, no, needed, to be on Team RWBY again, and he'd used it to his advantage.

It pissed her off. It made her the pawn she claimed she wasn't. But at the same time, if it was to give her what she wanted, was it really him using her at all?

Or were they both using one another?

"What's going on, Ozpin?" Yang asked. "And no secrets, please. I'm in over my head and I just found out the Council has it out for me. My head is spinning as it is."

"Adam Taurus is on the loose in Vale," Ironwood said, speaking before Ozpin could. "His is a threat far greater than any the city has dealt with before, and the police are not prepared. Ozpin needed someone who would do _anything_ to see him brought to justice. You fit the bill."

"Quite," Ozpin agreed.

Well, crap. That was blunt. Yang had to fight past the combination of anger and fear at the name they'd mentioned – and the memory of a flash of red and blinding pain. That monster had defeated her so easily. Yet now she was expected to take him on? Minus an arm? That was unreal.

"I suppose if I ask `why me`, the answer will just be that I was the only one available at the time."

"A little of that, but perhaps also partly because I feel you can be trusted," Ozpin said. "You are not one to lie. I'd sooner believe your sister went on a killing spree around Beacon than I would you betray your family and Vale, either for money or political power," he nodded back toward the Council chambers, "or for any other reason."

That was almost a compliment there. Still, he wasn't wrong. She would do anything to get back on her team, but she wasn't about to make a deal with the devil for it. Only Ozpin.

"Fine. What do I need to do?"

"Continue as you are currently. Find the White Fang, stop the Fang Virus, and bring those responsible to justice, whoever they might be. You were not wrong. The city needs the VSPR. Do not let it be taken away."

"I don't intend to," she said. "But what about the Council? I doubt they're going to back down on trying to stop me, especially after what just happened. I've got a feeling I burned any bridges back there."

"Leave the Council to me. The stronger you become in the public eye the less they will be able to touch you. I'll do my best to protect you until then, but I cannot do so indefinitely. Nor can I if something happens, or your unit is hit by a scandal, so do keep Roman and your other associates in line." Ozpin stood. "Watch your back, Captain. Or better still, find people to watch it for you. Even if I quash this investigation into you there is a chance certain parties might seek to create another."

The Council, or maybe just that Celeste woman and Warren Coppersmith. Yang nodded, already making plans on how to tell the others. Since their freedom depended on her not being ousted, she figured they'd be all hands on deck. _Would they really go so far as to forge something, though? Maybe I should talk with Vincent about it. He seems to know a lot._

"I've got a few ideas," she said. "Thanks. And thanks again for saving me."

"It's no problem." Ozpin nodded toward the door. "I really am sorry to run, but I was called out of a school matter for this and need to return. James, can you see Miss Xiao-Long out?"

"It would be my pleasure," the General said.

Once Ozpin was gone, Yang sighed. "Didn't you say you wanted to question me on some stuff?"

"I can wait a day for that, Captain. You look exhausted already."

"Thanks. Uh, you can call me Yang if you want."

"I'd prefer to keep things professional," the man said, still standing a little to the side. "You should feel proud of your rank, even if you did not earn it conventionally. Your record shows you deserve it."

"T-Thank you." Her cheeks coloured a little but she was pleased with the compliment.

"Ozpin's manner is as elusive as always, but he means well. I hope you'll forgive him for that. What he says is true; the White Fang pose a huge threat to the city." The General crossed his arms smiled. "But then, judging from what we heard you say, you understand that."

"It's hard not to. What I saw in the bank…" So many had died, and if the White Fang could do that in just a week's time, then there was no telling how much they could do in a month, or even two. Cinder's attack had been devastating, but it had also been targeted. If the White Fang were able to synthesize enough of the virus to cover the entire city it wouldn't be an attack.

It would be genocide.

"I've read the report. Weiss Schnee killed some of them."

Yang's shoulders stiffened. "She didn't."

The General eyed her for a long moment. "I see. Well, I shan't argue with you. Beware, though. Something like this is exactly what those seeking to control you might look for."

Yang's hand tightened into a fist. Blackmail, against Weiss? The idea alone was enough to make her growl, but she wasn't sure what she'd do if it happened. A part of her was sure she'd stay firm and not give in, but that would hurt Weiss so much. She saw the General's point. She'd have to be careful.

"I will personally ensure she never learns of it through Winter or myself," he added. "And I will provide what limited aid I am able. Whatever the White Fang have planned for Vale will assuredly target Atlas in time."

"At this point I could use all the help I can get. We're low on funding and we're struggling to find leads." And while it wasn't funny admitting either, she was too exhausted to care. "Not to mention the Council tries to take the credit for whatever good we do."

"Awareness of a problem is the first step to solving it. A good commander learns that in time, and he – or she – soon learns that some problems are best faced one at a time. Think on that a little." The General's eyes strayed to her right side. Yang shifted, hiding the stump of her arm. "And some problems are best faced head on, instead of being ignored. True strength is found in the human spirit. Not form or physical feature."

"I…" Yang swallowed. She couldn't quite meet his eyes, especially knowing that his injuries were much the same as hers. Maybe even worse. "I'll keep that in mind…"

"I hope you will, Captain. Come, I'll show you out of this place and have my chauffeur take you back to your headquarters. I'm sure your…" his face twisted, " _colleagues_ will be eager to hear back from you."

/-/

General Ironwood proved as good as his word, ordering his driver to take them by the VSPR HQ before back to wherever he was staying. She invited him inside, offering him a chance to rest and have a drink, but he shook his head.

"While I acknowledge and appreciate the work you do, I don't think it would be wise for me to spend a prolonged amount of time in the presence of your unit." The man smiled gruffly. "Please understand it's not you."

Yang laughed, not at all offended. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean."

General Ironwood wouldn't exactly mix with Roman, Mercury and Neo. Not after they'd stolen his airship, taken over his robots and crashed the thing into the Emerald Forest. It was a sign of the General's discipline that he didn't push her aside, storm into the building and murder Roman on the spot.

She watched the car pull away, stood on the side of the road and still feeling a little out of it. There was an odd sense of relief being back in front of the HQ, but there wasn't any time to relax. Ozpin and Ironwood had saved her this time but it wasn't going to last. Not unless she kept the VSPR going.

"One problem at a time," she whispered, remembering the General's words.

For now she had to work on keeping the VSPR afloat, and staying in control, and if that meant finding her own dirt on the Council, then so be it. Lisa could handle that. After what they'd done to her she'd probably jump at the chance.

But first she had to tell the others. They were probably worried sick. With a long sigh, Yang pushed up the steps and into the HQ, knocking the door open with one hand and stepping into the foyer.

"Strip, strip, strip!"

Lisa Lavender growled and took off her blouse, revealing a white brassiere. She slammed it down on the table in front of a stack of cards, bottles of beer and articles of clothing. Everyone cheered raucously, especially the men.

"Next hand," a topless Roman called, laughing around a cigar hanging from his lips. "This one will be a doozy. Who's in?"

No one answered. They were too busy staring over his shoulder.

"Having fun, Roman?" Yang gritted out.

"Oh, shi- I mean, oh hey, boss! How did it go?"

"Great. It was wonderful." Yang stomped forward, eyes blazing. "I was just having a fun time being grilled and nearly removed from my post, but hey, I see you've been working hard in my absence. That's good to know."

"Just keeping morale up, boss," the thief said, grinning. "You know, because everyone was so down over what might happen. It went well, then? I mean, you seem to be in good spirits, so I figure we're safe, eh?"

"Because of me!" she yelled. "It's only the fact I need you that prevents me killing you in your sleep," Yang growled. She accepted an opened bottle from Neo. "Thank you. You're spared. The rest of you clean this up and get ready for a meeting. And for the love of everything put some clothes on." She aimed the latter at Miltia, who was down to her underwear and little else, and to a blushing and topless Lisa Lavender. "You realise he was probably cheating, right?"

"W-What?"

"He's a criminal. What do you even expect?" The ex-journalist apparently didn't have an answer and blushed wildly, especially when Mercury whistled appreciatively. Yang ignored it, still scowling. "And can someone tell me why _he_ is here?"

"I'm dealing," Mark, their prisoner, said. He was dressed in a croupier's outfit, though she had no idea where he could have gotten it.

Yang glared at him.

"It's boring in my cell…"

Yang's hand snapped to the side, pointing back to the basement. The terrorist sighed, put the cards down and skulked away. Neo followed, patting his back and going to lock him up for the night.

"Gods, this is what my life has become," Yang growled, pinching the bridge of her nose between finger and thumb as half-naked men and women darted around in search of clothing. There was booze everywhere and the place stank of cigarettes and cheap take-out. The headache she'd been nursing all day came back with a vengeance.

It was probably a good job Ironwood hadn't come in for a drink.

* * *

 **Children will be children.**

 **So, this was something of an ending for this arc, I suppose. New problems hinted at, new plotlines opened, and some things of the past are being slowly explained. I tried to keep the council scene short because honestly I could have gone on for an entire chapter with that alone, and before Ozpin even arrived to save the day.**

 **Is Ozpin shaping Yang up to fill the role Raven left, or does his plan go further? Who is Vincent? Can Yang outwit the Council, and what are the White Fang's plans? Who the hell is Mark, anyway?**

 **Find out some other time, on Captain Dragon!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here we go. The adventures of Yang continue in a story that not only doesn't focus on Jaune, but has pretty much forgotten about him entirely.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

"I'm glad you could find time to meet with me," Weiss said, sat opposite Yang in a small diner in downtown Vale. She was dressed in her casual white outfit, the same one she'd worn when they got into a fight with Roman in a huge robot. It was a memory that brought a tiny grin to Yang's face, even if she could admit now, with the benefit of hindsight, that they shouldn't have done all that.

It was also, though maybe it was Yang's own thoughts haunting her, a sign of how little Weiss had changed compared to herself. Weiss was still a member of Team RWBY and dressed as she was almost six months ago, while Yang's own outfit had changed. She wore baggy brown trousers and a yellow tank top, with a black jacket over the top, tied at the arm to hide the disability from view. Her hair was also tied back into a ponytail because frankly it was too hard to deal with sometimes, especially with only one hand.

She could have asked for help, of course – but she was unsure who in the department she'd trust. Certainly not Neo considering her multi-coloured hair, and the moment she turned her back on Miltia or Melanie was the moment she deserved to have her hair shaved bald.

"No probs, Weiss-cream. I need a break sometimes, too."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "All is well in your unit, then?"

"Well enough," she replied, please that even if Weiss still didn't agree with the VSPR, she was at least willing to make the effort to be polite. "I have Lisa investigating the White Fang at the moment and the twins doing patrol."

"And Torchwick?"

"Working the phones with Neo."

"Isn't she mute?"

Yang grinned.

"That's cruel," Weiss said, smirking. "I approve wholeheartedly. I suppose it's one way to keep him so busy he can't cause any problems."

"Roman's not so bad as long as he's distracted," she said, supping some soda through her straw. "I know not to trust him but the for the most part he's loyal to the VSPR. He doesn't have much of a choice otherwise since the White Fang would kill him for failing if they had a chance."

"He's still a dangerous criminal."

"Yeah, but he's one I can aim at other people. And I _can_ control him," she added, right when Weiss was about to complain. "Trust me, I've got this." She sighed and looked away, scratching her wrist idly on her pant leg. It had been itching all day, annoying the hell out of her. "Can't we talk about something else? I didn't think you were inviting me out to talk work."

Weiss blinked at that but recovered quickly, hiding an awkward cough in the act of sipping her cappuccino. "You're right," she said, putting it down. "I'm sorry. I really am glad we can spend some time together – as friends, I mean. I had to lie to Ruby and Blake and say I was out on business otherwise they'd have followed me. Are you sure you're not ready to talk to them?"

"Not until they apologise to me."

"They _are_ sorry, you know." Weiss waited but Yang didn't answer. After a moment the heiress nodded and pushed on. "Well, how are you doing aside from work? You must be keeping up with your training if you intend to enter into Beacon again. Have you learned to fight without the use of your arm?"

Yang grimaced. "I thought we weren't talking about work."

"We're not. We're talking about you. I'm allowed to ask about your health, Yang Xiao-Long. You're my friend."

Ugh, Weiss had her there. "I'm managing," she grumbled. "It's weird but, you know, it's a thing. I'll get used to it."

"Get used to it?" Weiss asked, eyebrows rising. "Yang, you _are_ training to fight with your disability, aren't you?"

"Things are busy. I don't have time to train. I've got the White Fang to track down."

"Now you sound like Blake."

"Hey," Yang complained with a little laugh. "I'm not _that_ bad."

"Still, you can't afford to pretend that this doesn't exist," Weiss said, tapping on Yang's stump. She tried to move it out of the way but Weiss caught the tied-up sleeve and held it in place. Her eyes were firm. "This is exactly what Ozpin was talking about, you know. You've lost an arm. That's an unchangeable fact. It doesn't change who you are, nor will it hold you back – but it _is_ going to take some getting used to."

"I know. I'll get around to it."

Weiss hummed. "It bothers you."

Yang shrugged. Could anyone blame her? She wasn't shallow, or at least she liked to think she wasn't, but she'd always taken pride in her appearance. The only other thing she'd been proud of, Ruby notwithstanding, was her skills. Her lost arm impacted on both, and if there was one thing worse than knowing she was weaker than she used to be, it was seeing people send her curious or uncomfortable looks.

Some people found her disability disgusting, but they were in the minority. Most people just looked like they were trying their hardest not to notice, and that left her feeling ignored. It was like she didn't matter; like she was some untouchable who they didn't want to acknowledge existed because the very sight of her somehow made them feel vulnerable and weak.

Weiss' hand touched hers. "It doesn't change who you are, Yang. What matters is what's up here, and what's down here." She touched Yang's forehead with one hand, and then her heart, just above her breasts. "The rest doesn't matter."

"Yeah, well, tell that to those people at the counter staring at me."

Weiss turned instantly, as did the three people once her furious glare fell on them. Still, it was enough to prove Weiss' point wrong, even if she'd meant well and tried her hardest. "Forget them," she snarled, angry beyond belief. "They're worth less than the dirt on your shoes and they should feel ashamed of themselves." They did, if their hunched shoulders were any indication. Weiss hadn't pulled any volume on that one.

"Leave it be, Weiss. It doesn't matter."

"It clearly does if you noticed them!"

"I was just proving a point," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'll get over this once I get used to it, but right now I have to deal with the stares." She grinned and leaned forward a little. "Besides, who says they're staring at my arm? They might just think you and I are about to get it on."

"Yes," Weiss said sarcastically, "because there's definitely no way two girls sharing a drink could be doing anything _other_ than dating. I get that enough with Ruby, thank you."

Yang blinked. "You do?"

"We argue and bicker," Weiss explained with a dramatic sigh. "And somehow that convinces people we must be a couple, or at least restraining out lust for one another. It couldn't possibly be that your sister is annoying and energetic and I find it irritating."

"Not at all," Yang laughed. "Speaking of Beacon, how is everyone else there doing? Any juicy gossip?"

"Hm, well, Jaune and Pyrrha are a thing now," Weiss said casually.

Yang nearly spat out her drink. "What!? He _noticed_!?"

"You must be joking. Of course he didn't notice her feelings. This is Jaune Arc we're talking about."

"Ha, of course." Yang laughed. "So, Pyrrha finally caved and confessed to him."

"Pyrrha, explain her feelings?" Weiss rolled her eyes. "You must be thinking about a different person. Even with the power of the maiden and the fact she killed Cinder, she's the same person she's ever been."

"Nora lost patience and locked them in a closet together, didn't she?"

"Our bathroom, actually," Weiss replied. "They danced around one another for the last time. It was actually quite impressive; I've never seen her look so angry. She told them they weren't coming out until they were boyfriend and girlfriend."

"How long did that take?"

"At least an hour," Weiss complained. "It was ridiculous! Did you know Jaune actually thought Pyrrha's final kiss was a _friendly gesture_?"

"You're joking."

"I'm not!" Weiss growled, throwing her hands in the air. "No wonder he never caught on when I told him no. Apparently, he's an idiot with only a basic grasp of the human language, let alone human interaction. I-" Weiss froze, growled, and narrowed her eyes at Yang. "You're trying to distract me."

"Who?" Yang asked, smiling breezily. "Me?"

"I was asking about how you're doing and you've dragged the topic away. Don't think I haven't noticed. We're not done talking about your arm, Yang."

"Yep, well, sadly my break is over," Yang said, indicating the watch on her wrist with a grin. Weiss' mouth fell open and that delightful little twitch above her left eye was going wild. "Sorry, Weiss-cream, but duty calls."

"This conversation isn't over!."

"It'll have to be for now."

"I can meet you at your apartment later. Tell me where it is and I'll come and spar with you. You could at least do to get some practice."

"My apartment really isn't sturdy enough for sparring." Or human habitation, she neglected to add. "Besides, I keep getting these weird guys showing up and mooching my food and drink, so it's not really a good place for you to visit."

"People stealing from you? Have you called the police?"

Yang stared at Weiss.

"The normal police, I mean," Weiss corrected, flushing.

"Nah, otherwise I'd have to explain to Ruby why I threw her uncle in jail." Yang cocked a smirk and Weiss made a sound of understanding. "As for the other, well, he's annoying but he has his uses. It's a work thing. Sorry but I can't tell you."

"I understand." Weiss rose and paid the bill, holding her card out to a nearby waiter. "We should do this more often. It's been fun to catch up."

Yang couldn't find it in herself to disagree. It _had_ been fun to chat with Weiss, especially outside of a panicked bank rescue turned zombie nightmare. Even so, she wasn't about to end it without the last word and winked flirtatiously, slapping Weiss' rear when she wasn't looking.

The heiress yelped and jumped, glaring at her, but it was too late. Everyone was watching. She winked and blew the heiress a kiss.

"You've got my number. Call me anytime, baby."

/-/

"Thank God you're back!" Roman cried when she entered the precinct.

"What is it? We got a case?"

"No," the effeminate thief replied. "I'm so bored!"

"Cute." Yang leaned on the counter and sighed. Time with Weiss had been fun but the taxi ride back hadn't been. The guy driving it had taken one look at her arm and somehow decided she would be an insecure and easy lay. He hadn't so much flirted as propositioned her blatantly, and then acted like she should have been pleased with the offer once she refused. "What's the news in the city? Anything with regards to us or the White Fang?"

"Everything is quiet, boss," Roman said, cigar in mouth. "Council is keeping things that way to avoid panic, or at least that's the official explanation. Seems to me they don't want the story getting out until they can doctor it. Looks pretty bad if there was nearly a crisis like that happening under their noses."

"Hm. Has Lisa found anything?"

"More than I'd have expected. She's in the archives at the moment but she came by earlier for some coffee. Apparently she's looking into the gas mask sales that failed Grey and his lot in the bank. Thinks there might be a connection."

"Do you?" Yang asked.

"I'm not sure. Could be sabotage, but could just as easily be people saving a few lien by cutting corners. Greed isn't new. Still, you don't get to be a top reporter without investigating every aspect. I doubt she'll let you down."

Yang nodded and moved away, waving once to Junior and Mercury, who were chatting over some magazines on the sofas. They were to be the emergency response if Roman got a call, since he and Neo obviously couldn't leave the place totally abandoned.

The VSPR were stuck in a strange limbo at the moment. They'd survived the Council Meeting and an attempt to oust her, but aside from that they had precious little information to go on and no real direction. The bank attack had been a lucky opportunity, but little else. Until Lisa came up with something, or a clue stumbled into their laps, there wasn't much that could be done other than to wait and see.

Yang hated waiting; hated it because she was no good at it. Patience just hadn't been one of the things her parents blessed her with, and Summer hadn't been much better in that regard. It hardly helped that the stupid love bite Weiss had given her had flared up, leaving her skin puckered and itchy. Aura had healed the wound but it was still a pain. On a desperate moment she pulled out her scroll and the card she'd been provided before, and sent a message off to someone she really shouldn't trust. She got a reply not two minutes later.

 _We're still searching, I'm afraid. You'll be notified if we find anything._

 _Vincent._

"Damn it. What's the point of being indebted to some shadowy organisation if they won't even throw us a bone every now and then?" Yang groaned and fell back into her plush seat, kicking her legs up onto the desk. It was time for a good sulk, and damn what anyone said abut that!

Which was why she was left somewhat unprepared when the door slammed open. Yang panicked so hard she fell off her chair and slammed to the ground with a startled cry.

Lisa paused in the doorway. "Captain? Huh, I thought she was here for sure…"

"I'm here," Yang groaned, hand appearing above the desk. "What is it?"

"Captain, are you okay?"

"Just… doing a few push-ups."

"If you say so," Lisa said, shaking her head. "There's no time for that, though. I think I've found something! Here, look." She slammed some documents down on Yang's desk and waited expectantly.

Yang picked one up as requested and read through it, or tried to. There were reams and reams of text, not to mention some news reports that she couldn't make heads or tails off. "This is… great?" she tried.

"No, it's a disaster!"

"It is?"

Lisa sighed and snatched it back. "Okay, I'll explain. I was looking into the gasmasks the local police were given. I've not been able to find anything suspicious on that yet but I'm digging. What I _did_ find, however, was a mention of an airborne contamination containment and testing facility where the masks were tested prior to use. You can't just ship untested goods out to the police, after all, and that got me thinking about the Fang Virus. The White Fang were able to get it from serum form into airborne in barely any time at all. How?"

"I don't know," Yang admitted. "I'm not exactly a professional in this kind of thing."

"Yes, and neither is about 99% of the population of Vale," Lisa said. "That's the point! It's downright impossible for the White Fang to have just stumbled on this. You need expertise."

"And they must be getting that from somewhere," Yang realised, nodding. "Of course. They took the original recipe from Blue Sky, but they only ever made medicine for MVP's pills, so it was never meant to travel by air. Someone else had to turn it into that. You think it's the gasmask company?" she asked.

Lisa shook her head. "They only test how to block this stuff, which the White Fang probably wouldn't care to have discovered. It's got to be someone more used to chemicals; maybe even someone with more knowledge on medicine specifically."

"So, that narrows it down to scientists, professors and medical practitioners." Some of those would be easier to find than others, since they could just visit the local universities for any professors. Still, it was a lot of potential people. "I guess we can fan out and have teams visit the various locations, but there are bound to be a lot of research facilities like Blue Sky around, if this was even synthesized in Vale and not Atlas."

"No, no, no, you're thinking too wide. When you're reporting on something you look for patterns and things that stand out. This is the _White Fang_ developing a biological weapon. For one, no human in Vale is going to do that. Call it racist if you want but we're probably looking at a faunus." Lisa said it so confidently that Yang couldn't help but accept it as fact. "But what's more is that no _business_ would want to be involved in this. Research facilities are high security like you saw with Blue Sky. I doubt this is a large group of people helping the White Fang. It's probably a small number of people, maybe just one – and he's not going to be working for anyone currently."

Yang would freely admit she was impressed. That was a lot of detail for something that was basically a shot in the dark. Still, they couldn't afford to take any risks or fly off the handle. "How do you know? What evidence is there?"

"None," Lisa said, smiling past Yang's shocked expression. "But there never is for this kind of thing, it's just using common sense and being willing to take a risk. I'm not suggesting we, or you, bust anyone. I'm saying it's a lead the VSPR should investigate. Whoever this guy or girl is they're desperate enough for _something_ that they're willing to work on a weapon capable of destroying Vale. I figure they're out of a job because someone with stuff to lose isn't likely to do this. The only other option is the Fang kidnapped them, but if that was the case then we'd have heard about a missing person report by now. Since we've had nothing like that this must be consensual, or at least a working arrangement."

It made sense, sort of. It was logic than it was fact-based analysis, but there was no denying it was a lead better than what they had before. "Okay, what do you suggest?"

"I wouldn't bother with the schools and research facilities since the former wouldn't have the materials for something like this and the latter would be too close-lipped to answer. Visit the hospitals, and specifically look for records on anyone who left within the last year or two – under mysterious circumstances, if you're lucky. If not, then anyone who might have had beef with the city."

"You think it'll be that easy?"

"No," Lisa admitted. "But I think the hospital will have an up-to-date list of everyone trained well enough to be a doctor or medical specialist in Vale. They're the ones that train most of them, after all. It's that or digging through the census."

"The hospital it is," Yang said, standing. "Good work, Lisa. Stay here and see if you can find anything more. You're not exactly… uh…"

"Equipped for field missions?" the journalist finished. Far from looking offended, she smiled. "I understand. I'd just drag you down, anyway. Good luck, Captain."

/-/

Yang, Roman, Neo and Junior pulled into the car park of the Vale Central Hospital and parked in one of the emergency bays. "Hey, it's an emergency," Roman said when Yang and Junior shot him disgusted looks.

The hospital was the biggest in Vale, and the central nexus for most of the intensive and emergency care that went on around the city. Though there were others spread among the populace, many of those were isolated maternity wards and General Practitioners, mixed with the occasional A&E for serious problems. They were each capable in their own right, but if it was a serious problem then it was the VCH you came to.

More than that, the VCH was where the majority of the records were stored, at least in physical form. The digital copies were probably off-site. It was also where many new medical staff started their careers, being taught by the best and learning here before they were capable enough to be sent across the city to other hospitals. It was a huge white-washed building with massive windows letting in plenty of natural light. There were ramps to and from the entrances and Yang paused to let some paramedics push a man on a gurney up one.

"Okay, we don't want to cause a scene here," Yang said, making sure to stare directly into Roman's eyes as she said it. "This isn't a police operation, it's an investigation – and we're _not_ investigating the hospital. No one here is a suspect, so that means you absolutely can't shake them down or accuse them of anything. Got it?"

Roman sighed and drew the cigar out of his mouth to hold in one hand. "I feel like you're saying something about my moral character."

"I am. And get rid of that." Yang swatted the thing out of his hand and stamped on it. She ignored his pained expression. "This is a hospital, Roman. No smoking like a chimney."

"Everyone here is injured or dying. Who cares about smoke inhalation?"

"Don't be a twat." Yang gave Junior a nod, subtly telling him to keep an eye on the irritating thief. She wasn't sure he would actually be able to but he nodded nonetheless. Yang paused to give Neo a stern look as well before they went through the automatic doors.

Neo shot her an angelic smile in return.

Ugh, this team. Why hadn't she brought Mercury? Oh, yeah. Because he was an ass. Why hadn't she brought the twins-? No. Just no… Was it too late to arrest Weiss and force her into service? It would make things so much easier. Maybe she could pin something on Miss Goodwitch, too. Yang's eyes glazed over at the thought of an efficient and organised team but she shook her head, dispelling the fantasy. It was time to make do with what she had, and she led the four of them into the hospital.

The front foyer was mostly empty, but for a few people with minor injuries on seats and one small child crying while a nurse knelt and comforted him. More nurses moved to and fro, each hurrying down corridors with clipboards to various theatres. She'd heard working in medical could be tense but these people were capable of talking, reading and navigating past injured people and colleagues all at the same time. The prevailing uniforms were in colours of pale blue, green and white.

"Can I help you?" the nurse behind the counter called. It was a man of about thirty years, and although he smiled pleasantly at them there were bags beneath his eyes. It was obvious the hospital was overworked.

The Fang Virus certainly wasn't helping.

"Captain Yang Xiao-Long, VSPR," she said, providing her badge and watching the man's face pale. "I'm not here to arrest anyone, sir. We're just looking into something related to the Fang Virus and wanted to go through some old records here."

"W-Well, I'm not sure I can let you do that, officer," the man stammered. His eyes slipped to Roman and Junior and he swallowed. "Not that I wouldn't if I could, but I could get in trouble. It's illegal to let patient records be seen by anyone barring a warrant."

"We're not here for the patient records. We want to see medical practitioners in Vale. I was told you'd have the full list."

"Oh, that's more doable," he said, relaxing. "I don't have it here but the record rooms are on the fourth floor. I can page someone and have them meet you. They'd have to stay with you and make sure you don't look into anything you shouldn't, I hope you understand. Please give me a moment."

Yang nodded and left the man to speak into a speaker stamped to his desk. His voice was low but she caught mentions of VSPR and records, so she figured he was doing as they'd asked. It was nice to not run into a brick wall for once.

"You think this'll give us anything?" Junior asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Lisa thinks it might help though, and even if it doesn't then we can at least rule out the hospitals as being where this started." She eyed Roman, who looked more than a little agitated to be without his smokes. "What do you think?"

"I think it's better than nothing. Lavender is right about one thing, I can't think of many people in the underworld who would have the brains for this. You get your drug dealers and cooks but they're normally following a recipe. This is more advanced."

"Doctor Simmons has agreed to help you," the nurse said, turning back to them. "Someone will be here momentarily to take you to him. Would you like to take a seat?"

"We'll wait here, thank you."

The man nodded and they moved aside to let him serve someone else, a woman arguing that her cough was an early sign of the Fang Virus, despite that she showed no signs of aggression. Yang rolled her eyes and ignored it and luckily a paramedic in a green uniform came by within a minute or two to collect them. He looked beleaguered, probably drawn off his break for it.

He led them down several corridors and to a central elevator, then up three floors. There wasn't much in the way of conversation, though several people greeted him by name as he passed by. For the most part the hospital was too overworked for anything more than that.

"These are the record rooms," the man said, pointing to a glass-walled room with reinforced metal struts and a sealed door. He tapped in a quick six-digit code and opened it for them. "Doctor Simmons is inside and waiting for you. I can't go any further. Security and all that."

"That's no problem. Thanks for your help." She waited for him to leave before she stepped into the room and, remembering the last time they'd been ambushed, checked inside to make sure there was a way to exit without needing the code. Luckily the button to get out was just a single one with `push` written on it.

There was also a man inside, middle-aged and wearing spectacles. He turned at the noise and greeted them. "Ah, Captain. There you are. Young Jones at the desk told me you'd be on your way. I hope you're well."

"I'm fine," she said, entering. Roman, Neo and Junior fanned out to the sides. "Doctor Simmons, I assume?"

"You don't recognise me?" the man laughed good-naturedly. "I'm offended."

Should she recognise him? Yang wracked her memory but he didn't ring any bells, either by face or by name.

"Anyway, Captain. What can I help you with today?"

"We're looking for records on people who worked for the hospital in the past," she explained, and quickly ran through the information Lisa had given her before. Maybe she shouldn't have specifically told him why and what they intended to use it for, but the room looked huge and if he could save them any time searching, then all the better.

She also recalled Lisa's words about motives and common sense. Doctor Simmons was a human overworked because the Fang Virus was injuring and killing people. She doubted he'd be against helping them if he could.

Luckily, her intuition proved correct. "Terrible thing that virus," the man said, scowling fiercely. "Bad enough people injure one another with fists and weapons but something like that eats away at the mind and body. It's just foul."

"The hospital has been busy, then?"

"You can say that again, Captain. Some of our staff have even been attacked – though obviously the victims aren't doing so by their own will. It's simply terrible."

"Do you think you can help us?"

"Well, I shall certainly do my best. Staff turnover is what it's always been, but what you're talking about – the means to alter and synthesize a drug like the Fang Virus – requires much more expertise than a typical nurse or junior doctor might have. Hmm…" He strode to the side and started to pull out some cabinets, revealing rows upon rows of stamped sheets and folders. "You'll have to take a seat, I'm afraid. This could take some time."

Yang did so, pushing some documents off a wooden stool while the others found their own rest, either on the floor cross-legged in Neo's case, or leaning against the wall with Roman. Junior just sighed and hunched down against a metal cabinet. The room really didn't have much else to it.

"The Vale Central has a lot of the best minds in medicine, I'm afraid," Simmons explained, "so it's not easy to find a specific person in all of this. It hardly helps that some record keeps before me were less than organised."

"Try those who were dismissed or left under unusual circumstances," Yang suggested. "We think it might be someone who has reason to be angry at Vale, or maybe the medical profession itself."

"Hm, yes, I can see your point." He closed the drawer he was working on and moved several along. "Disciplinary procedures are thankfully rather rare, mostly overworked or exhausted nurses making mistakes – truly terrible, I tell you. It's not always their fault but the guilt is something they can carry for an entire lifetime. Many enter this career believing they can save lives but the one truth you have to learn is that people _will_ die under your hands. You simply can't help everyone. At the end of the day life becomes a statistic. A tragic one, but a statistic nonetheless. Our job is to try and keep it as low as possible. Ah, here we are."

The man moved back from the cabinet with a box in hand, which he carried to the small table Yang was sat at and placed down. Inside were numerous files and folders, easily two or three hundred.

"What is this?"

"Everyone who was dismissed from the hospital in the last three years, and almost all of these involving more… experienced members of staff."

Yang winced. "There are so many…"

"It's a difficult job, I'm afraid. This isn't just our hospital, either. It's all of them within Vale's network."

"We can't go through all of this," Roman said, striding over. He picked one out, opened it, and then put it back with a sigh. "It would take hours and we wouldn't even know what to look for. Hey, old man, I don't suppose we can take these with us, can we?"

"I'm afraid not. They can't leave this room."

"Yeah, I thought so." Roman moved a hand to touch his cigar before he recalled he didn't have one in his mouth. He scowled and smacked his lips instead. "Boss, I think you should bring Lisa here and have her work through this with the doctor here. This is her kind of work and she knows what to look for."

Yang nodded, agreeing. "Is that okay?" she asked Doctor Simmons.

"So long as I'm here and she doesn't take anything away, it will be fine," he said. "If she finds anyone of particular suspicion I'm willing to let her make a copy of the files, provided I can see them first and make sure there is no delicate information."

That might be a problem but she doubted it. Lisa was a reporter, which meant that if she _did_ find something juicy and Simmons tried to censor it, she'd find a way around it. She could probably memorise it, snap pictures, or whatever other cheeky tricks she had up her sleeve. Someone like Lisa Lavender wouldn't let a story escape her so easily.

"That's fine. She'll be down later to take a look." Yang eyed Junior. "Can you call her and explain the situation?"

He nodded and stepped out, reaching for his scroll.

"Thanks for this, Doctor. Hopefully it will be enough for us to make some headway."

"I'm happy to have helped, Captain. By the way, did you manage to meet with your friend?"

"Hm?" Yang glanced back. "What do you mean?"

"Your friend," the doctor said. "The one you asked me about earlier."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, that's odd." The man removed his glasses and frowned, giving her a good look up and down. "You came here this morning," he said. "Not two hours ago. You were asking after an officer who was injured in the bank attack and being treated here. You told me you had to meet with him. I told you he was still unconscious but you said that was fine."

Sudden concern raced through her. Yang looked to Roman and Neo for an answer but they could only stare back, eyes wide. Slowly, she turned to the doctor. "Doctor, I've never met you before in my life. I was at a dinner date two hours ago, and the station soon after. I haven't been near the hospital at all. Are you sure it was me?"

"I-It was," he argued, becoming flustered. "I… I may be old, but I'm not senile. It was you, right down to your eyes and your face. You even presented your badge. Who else could it have been?"

"The same person who impersonated Annabelle Butters in Blue Sky," Roman hissed. "The same person who stole the Fang Virus from them in the first place!"

Yang wasn't slow. She'd already figured that out. "When was this?" she hissed, grabbing the doctor by his coat. "When exactly? And where did I ask to go? Who did I ask for?"

"It wasn't two hours ago," he stammered. "You… You asked for one of the officers wounded in the bank heist. It was… yes, it was Mr Sullivan, the Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant Grey?" Yang gasped, recalling the professional man. "Why would-?"

"You said you had something to give to him. You said it was a get-well present."

An explosion shook the building. The doctor's eyes widened in horror and he stumbled, catching himself on the desk as Yang let him go. A piercing alarm began to sound through the building and out of a window visible through the glass walls they could see a plume of black smoke rising from one of the hospital's annexes. There were screams from outside, many filled with fear and grief.

"Shit," Roman cursed, kicking at some papers on the floor. "Fuck!"

Her thoughts entirely, even as she started moving, hand falling to draw her gun. Neo had the door open and Junior was already halfway down the corridor, rushing toward the explosion. Even before she made it, she knew it would be too late.

/-/

The four of them stood in front of the burned out room that had taken the brunt of the attack. Hospital staff rushed to and fro, helping injured people who were badly burned or had been caught with shrapnel to safety. The walls of the room were pitch black and scorched with fire and the windows had been blown out. It was only that which had prevented it from being that much worse, as the explosion – and its force – escaped outside.

Yang stared at the empty bed in the middle of the room. Of Grey Sullivan, a man she had genuinely liked, nothing remained. The blast had incinerated everything, turning him to nothing more than ash.

"It was a dust bomb," Roman said, brushing some of the debris aside. "Nothing else burns this hot and the walls themselves aren't knocked in, so it was probably fire-based. It would have been a lot worse otherwise."

"It's already worse," Yang managed through gritted teeth.

"Not saying it's not." Roman sighed. "He was a good man. Saved Lisa's life."

"We're always one step behind them," she growled, angry beyond belief. It was just another name to add to the White Fang's tally, but this one hurt. The fact they'd struck at a hospital, too. It was unforgiveable. "Why Grey? I don't get it. Was this to send a message?"

"A normal bomb would have sent a better message or even a Fang bomb since we know they can make those." Junior said. "If you were going to set off anything here, it might as well be the virus. This was fire dust and little else; enough to destroy everything in this room."

"Why?"

"I'd say it was to get rid of something. Evidence, loose ends, a witness. Hard to say which. One thing's for sure, though. They were after this guy specifically, otherwise they wouldn't have needed to have someone impersonate you to find out where he was."

It was just like Blue Sky. Still, there were plenty of people who had the Fang Virus in their system, so why go after Grey specifically? Was it because he had a more concentrated dosage? Did they think he might contain traces of it, and that it might be enough to combat the virus?

"Roman, go to the main desk and find out if they drew blood from Grey. If so, chase it down and make sure nothing happens to it. Junior, get Lisa to look into this as well as the records – and get a CCTV of who entered this area. I want to know if this person really does look like me or if there's some trick involved." The two nodded and rushed off, leaving Yang and Neo behind. "Neo."

The girl cocked her head to the side.

"I want you to disguise yourself as Doctor Simmons and go back to the record rooms. Did you see the code he used to access it?" Yang grinned as the girl nodded, pleased with herself. "Good. He should be busy with this disaster. Get in there and steal those documents. Make it look like someone broke in after the explosion." Neo nodded and slipped away, smirking the whole time.

Yang remained behind, staring at the destroyed room and the marks that had burned not just the inside, but the wall opposite the door, the floor and even the ceiling. Smoke still pooled from the window and trailed high above.

Her scroll beeped. Yang opened it. "Roman?"

"The blood is gone."

Yang cursed. "Stolen?"

"No, just smashed on the floor along with like, every other vial in the room. The place looks like a massacre just happened. Of course, last one seen entering was a doctor who works here, but turns out he was in surgery on the other side of the hospital when it happened."

Damn it. The White Fang were trying to erase any concentrated traces of the virus. Trying, and succeeding. She ran a hand through her hair and once again cringed as pain flared through her wrist. It went ignored, small compared to the pain that flared behind her eyes. She stared at the room, hand clenched into a fist.

"Boss, you still there?" Roman asked.

"I'm here. Come back and meet up with me. I need you to give me a lift somewhere."

"On my way. Where we headed?"

Yang grimaced. "The morgue."

"Ugh, any reason why?"

"Fire, murder and ash, Roman," she said, turning away. "Maybe it's a coincidence but I'm not sure. Either way, I'm not about to take any chances. I won't take assurances for an answer with all this going on. It has her handwriting all over it."

"Ah," Roman made a sound of understanding. "We're off to visit my old employer, huh? Hoping to make sure she hasn't risen from the dead?"

"Something like that. I want to see her body with my own eyes."

"I'm on my way."

* * *

 **My Gods, Coeur reveals more of his bashing – this time on a hospital and a wounded police officer! Does his bashing know no ends!? Lol. Anyway, yeah, here's the chapter. The White Fang are being much more aggressive than canon, partly because canon failed, but also because this story is taking a darker approach with it.**

 **Well, there are conspiracies afoot but also leads. The VSPR have some at last and are investigating on their own like true detectives. So proud.** **Also, a nice little moment between Weiss and Yang, because hey, why not? Weiss has just regained Yang as a friend and wants to catch up, along with just about the only mention of Jaune you'll ever see in this fic.**

 **There you go, everyone. I wrote you an Arkos! Job done!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**So, here we go. I've had one or two complaints about OC's, but all I can say is that they really are necessary if I'm going to not hand-hold canon. Yang** _ **needs**_ **to interact with people and the world can't just exist of ten or so people. Similarly, I can't just put Oscar in a doctor's uniform to make it easier for people. I try not to let OC's take over, and I think I succeed in that for the most part. They exist, they have lives, and they generally don't impede much in my fics.**

 **If you can't handle that then I'm not sure what to say. You'll probably prefer fics that stick exclusively to canon, because let's face it, if the cast so much as visit a new village there is going to have to be OC's stocking it. That's unavoidable. I've not added any OC-Main Characters, so I don't really see the issue. Grey appeared, got poisoned, and is now dead. He's hardly taking over the fic. xD**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 17**

* * *

The chatter on the radio had been about nothing other than the terrorist attack on the hospital as Yang and Roman pulled into the morgue. It was a building as oppressive as it was deserted, with stone-grey walls and wooden doors that somehow looked like the gates to the underworld. Yang slammed the car door shut as she clambered out, Roman doing the same opposite.

"No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet," Yang noted. "Odd. The White Fang are normally all over that, even if it's not even something they did in the first place."

"I guess they don't want to be known as terrorists who bombed a hospital," Roman said, switching off the radio remotely and locking the car.

"Terrorists with standards. Cute."

"I doubt it's standards so much as reputation. The healer's oath means hospitals treat faunus and humans regardless of lineage. A lot of potential recruits and even some current members would be upset at something like this."

"Like it's going to make a difference. We know who did it. The news will be out it's their fault by the end of the day." The Council wouldn't hold back on that, what with their arses being in the firing line otherwise.

"Yeah, but at least this way the White Fang can play it as an accusation and claim victim, at least to their less intelligent members. Which, I might remind you, is just about all of them. The rest are fanatics, and they don't care who dies so long as they're doing the killing."

"Lovely." Yang groaned and moved up towards the building, her partner in tow. It was bad enough she'd been forced to witness an attack killing someone she'd come to respect, but to know the White Fang would profit from it? That ground her gears.

 _They won't be celebrating once we bust their asses,_ she thought, growling to herself. She'd be the one smiling when they were locked behind bars, and she'd personally see Adam thrown in the same cell Roman had come from.

The morgue expected her, or at least had been warned of her arrival by Junior. There was a woman waiting with a clipboard and a white doctor's uniform. She smelled faintly of vanilla, which was much better than Yang had feared. Then again, someone who worked around dead bodies all day was probably someone who invested in a lot of perfume.

"Captain Xiao-Long?"

Yang nodded and flashed her badge. "That's me. This is-"

"I know who he is," the woman said, frowning at the renowned criminal behind her. It was only slightly galling everyone knew her underling before they did her. "My name is Lily, Lily Gartner. It's nice to meet you." They shook hands briefly. Lily didn't bat an eyelid at Yang's missing one. She'd likely saw worse every day. "I heard you wanted to see the reports on a patient we had here."

"A patient? I was under the impression she was dead."

"She was," Lily confirmed. "It's an industry term, please forgive me." The woman led them down a corridor deeper into the building, speaking all the way. "We receive a lot of patients as you can imagine, though many leave our care for various purposes such as cremation and burial. We try not to keep a large stock here and especially not patients that are – ah – emotionally charged."

"What does that mean?" Yang asked.

"People who are reviled or loved," she explained. "Usually it's the former, criminals, terrorists or mass-murderers can draw people wanting to take their anger out on them, or even their bodies. Ours isn't to dispense justice, especially to someone who is already dead. We try to move them along so that the temptation for someone to break in here is lessened, however."

"Cinder Fall is one of those, eh? You wouldn't have brought it up otherwise."

"Indeed." Lily opened a door and gestured for them to enter. It was another record and file room and Yang sighed again.

"Not more researching," Roman groaned.

"That won't be necessary, Captain," Lily said, ignoring Roman entirely. "Once I heard you were on your way, and for what, I took the liberty of finding the patient's file for you."

Yang took the offered folder and moved over to a table, sitting down and resting it on the woodwork. Only then could she use her sole hand to open it up and peer at the details on the front page. Name; Cinder Fall. Gender; Female. Everything else was unknown, though her place of birth was guessed as Mistral.

"She always was a mysterious bitch," Roman said, leaning over Yang's shoulder. "Considering what she wanted, her name was probably fake as well. No way would someone hate their kid enough to name them that."

She flicked to the next page, and the two of them quickly cringed. It was a picture of a woman's body, badly burned and heavily bruised. Not much in the way of detail could be made out, but she was very, very dead. Yang quickly flicked a little further, finding close-up views of various wounds, somehow easier to stomach when it wasn't a full human body. The rest of the file was mostly like that, cataloguing the damage and coming to a conclusion on what caused it; puncture and slash wounds indicative of a spear or sword.

Or, as Yang liked to put it, death by Pyrrha.

"It all looks normal," she said, reaching the final page. It listed details of where the body was interred. "She was given a burial?"

"In lieu of any previous wishes it is the Kingdom's policy," Lily explained. "Some called for a state burning to symbolise our victory, but the Council feared criminal elements might use it to make her a martyr. It's common for that to happen with terrorists. It's usually easier to just bury them out of sight and let the Kingdom forget they ever existed."

"Morbid." Yang shivered. She hoisted the file. "Can we take this?"

"Keep it. It's a photocopy and it's not like there are any next of kin who would complain. May I ask why, though?"

Yang grinned weakly. "It's better if you don't know."

/-/

"You know what, I take it back," Roman said, wiping some sweat from his brow. "The visit to the morgue wasn't morbid at all. _This_ shit is morbid!"

"Don't sweat in a graveyard," Yang rebuked. "It's bad luck."

"So is digging up someone's grave!" Roman practically howled, slamming his shovel back into the dirt. "Gods, even I have standards, you know. I was a bastard and a thief but I'd draw the line at grave robbing."

"We're not grave robbing and we have every right to be here, so stop whining. The groundsman said it was okay and it's not like anyone is going to complain." They were in an abandoned section of the graveyard which the groundsman had said was mostly reserved for `undesirables`. He'd assured them no random person visiting a relative would see them at work.

" _I'm_ complaining," Roman pointed out.

"You don't count. This is your community service."

"Why aren't you helping me?"

"I have a single arm. I can't use a shovel."

"Why isn't Mercury helping me then," Roman groaned. "We could call the others and have them chip in. This is breaking my back."

"The others aren't here because they have jobs to do, and Mercury isn't here because I can't trust him not to play with the body like it's some kind of marionette."

Roman paused. "That kid's messed up…"

"Less whining, more digging."

"Yes, Captain," Roman sighed, swinging the shovel up once more and dispelling some soil onto the grass nearby. He was already four or so feet down and had been working for over an hour, an impressive rate for the average person but possible thanks to his huntsman training and stamina. There was a crack on the next thrust as metal hit wood.

Yang perked up. "You found it?"

"Think so." Roman started to dig around the spot, scraping his shovel over the wooden coffin and pushing soil aside. It was about six feet long and two or three wide, with cracked brown wood and no markings on it. A fitting coffin for someone like Cinder Fall. "I'm not going to be able to lug this thing out on my own, so if you want to see what's inside you're coming down here."

With a sigh, she hopped down to land next to him, feet slapping against soil compacted onto wood. Luckily, the coffin was one of those with a top section that could be opened alone – used at a funeral so people could see the face.

Yang dreaded to imagine what it would look like now. It had been bad enough checking those images but she was about see the real thing. "You knew Cinder better than I did," she quickly said, feeling short of breath. "You don't need me for this."

"What!?" Roman whirled on her, aghast. He caught her by the arm before she could scrabble out of the hole. "No way, nuh-uh. You're the one who dragged me out here to dig up a dead woman. You're not leaving me to the grisly task of identifying the chick."

"B-But I don't even really know what she looked like."

"Bullshit. She pretended to be a student in Beacon for weeks. You had classes with her." He pulled her down beside him, their faces almost touching cheek to cheek. "If I'm doing this, you're doing it with me," he hissed.

Yang's stomach flipped. It had made so much sense to check the body but now that she was here she was having fifth thoughts. Second through fourth had been running wild in her head for the last hour. Her hand was shaking, her breath coming out in harsh pants. Did they really need to see the body? They could just assume, right?

No, they couldn't. She took a deep breath, not quite managing to calm herself but at least steadying her raging heartbeat. With a loud swallow, she turned to Roman. "We open it at the same time, okay? One quick check and we can close it again."

"Sure." Roman gripped one side of the coffin's upper half. He'd already unlocked the latches. "On three?"

"On three," she agreed. "One. Two."

They pulled on three and Yang instantly felt the urge to look away or scream. She forced herself through it, fighting through the dust that was expelled from within. This was her job now. This was to get back into Beacon. This was for Grey Sullivan and everyone else who had died in the bank. It was for justice. It was… something of an anti-climax.

"Fuck," Roman summarised. Yang thought it was a fairly accurate way to put it, really.

The coffin was empty.

/-/

It turned out that while the VSPR didn't have their own Bullhead, she could requisition one at a command, which led to one such vehicle landing down in the middle of an empty clearing to the side of the graveyard. It was marked in grey and blue with the symbol of Vale's more typical law enforcement on the side.

"Can you pilot?" Yang asked Roman.

"I'm pretty sure it comes with a pilot, Captain. Seeing as it just landed here."

She punched his arm. "Don't be a smartass. I'm thinking whether we should try and get one for the VSPR." Yang strode up to the side as it slid open and clambered in. She pushed through to the pilot's cockpit. "Take us to Beacon."

"Will do, Captain."

Roman had already taken a seat and strapped himself in. He leaned over to help her when she struggled one-handed, ignoring her angry glare. "I can pilot a Bullhead," he said. "Not sure where we'd park it at the HQ, but it might be a nice thing to have if you can swing the budget. Why are we headed to Beacon? I'm not sure I'll be very welcome there."

"We're off to see Ozpin, and to confirm something. As for being welcome, leave that to me."

The Bullhead took off quickly and turned toward the east, moving in the direction of Beacon and passing over the Emerald Forest. It was strange how long it had been since she'd made the journey, and not in the way she expected. It had only been a couple of weeks but it felt like months or years. She just wished it could have been a visit on better terms.

Instead, she had the worst of news to deliver. Cinder Fall wasn't in her grave, which was the kind of thing you didn't expect of a dead person. And she _was_ dead, she had to be. But… if there was one person who could swing it the other way, it would be her.

 _Join the VSPR, stop the White Fang and get back into Team RWBY,_ Yang thought. _No one ever said anything about undead masterminds and necromancers._ Agitated, Yang rubbed her wrist on her uniform, scratching it against her jacket.

"What's up?" Roman asked. "You've been playing with your hand all day."

"It just itches," she said, rubbing it a little harder. "Nothing serious, it's where Weiss bit me."

"Kinky."

"Not like that, asshole. Just… ah, forget it. I'm just scratching a scab – you know what it's like."

"Yeah, a bad idea." Roman didn't look too fussed, or fussed enough to argue at any rate. He lit up a cigar, heedless of the safety precautions in a Bullhead or her scowl. "Don't come crying to me if you peel it off and have to go back to the hospital."

"You shouldn't smoke in a Bullhead."

"You shouldn't charge a deadly terrorist in the face either."

"I lost an arm for that!"

"And I'll lose a few years for this," he drawled. "Leave it be. A man needs a little something to take the edge off."

Yang felt like pointing out she knew more than enough men, Uncle Qrow and her father included, and that they didn't need such stupid things. Then again, maybe Qrow was a bad example. Either way, the sight of Beacon approaching through the front window, seen through the door leading to the pilot, captivated her before she could.

"Beacon…" she whispered.

"Beacon," Roman said sarcastically. "Wonderful."

Seriously, was there no mood he couldn't kill? Yang rolled her eyes and ignored him as the Bullhead began to slow and pull in toward the school and the landing pads. She couldn't quite get a good view of the students below but it was around six or so in the afternoon, and that was a dangerous time to be visiting. Students were out of lessons, which meant her team was out of their lessons.

Hopefully, she wouldn't have to run into them. Weiss wasn't so much a problem anymore, but she really didn't fancy having a run-in with Ruby or Blake. Not when the day was already an absolute mess.

When the Bullhead landed, Glynda met them, standing a few metres away from the vehicle as the doors slid opened. The stern woman smiled as Yang disembarked, though that smile died an ugly death at the sight of the person behind her. In the distance, more than a few students also froze and stared.

Roman chuckled. "Quite the welcoming party."

"Yang," Miss Goodwitch said, stepping forward. It surprised her how casually the stern woman said her name, but she recalled their meeting before and managed a friendly smile in return.

"Miss Good- I mean Glynda." It was still weird to talk to her teacher like that. "I'm sorry for the unannounced visit but I need to speak with Ozpin. Is he available?"

"The headmaster is rarely _available_ , but I'm sure he will make time for you. I take it this is an important matter? It must be if you thought it wise to bring _him_ along."

"I have a name," Roman drawled.

"Yes, and a list of felonies longer than any other. You should count yourself fortunate I don't give you a first-hand demonstration of my Semblance and its various applications."

"Ooh. Scary."

"Roman," Yang snapped. "Stop baiting people."

"Right, right, I'll be good."

"It seems you have a handle on him," Glynda said, looking more than a little pleased. "I'm glad. If you'll come with me I'll take you to Ozpin. I assume you'd like for your visit to cause as little disturbance as possible. If it makes you feel better, I know Ruby Rose has decided to spend this afternoon training with her team in the training rings. She will likely be occupied there for the next few hours."

It did make her feel better, even if she didn't want to admit it. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, Yang." The trio made their way down the white stone path and toward Beacon, doing their best to ignore the whispers and stares of those they passed. Many Yang recognised, and they probably recognised her in turn, along with Roman. She had to wonder how many knew about the VSPR and what they did. It seemed impossible not to, but Beacon was often removed from Vale and unless you read the news you could go without hearing much from the city.

And, being students, not everyone bothered to keep up-to-date with real life events. _I just hope this doesn't add to the rumour pool. I really don't need more people assuming Roman and I are sleeping together._

They reached the elevator without incident, and luckily the carriage was already at the bottom. Glynda led them in and pressed the button, drawing them up toward the headmaster's office. "Is this to be a private meeting?" she asked politely.

"I'd prefer if no one found out about it, but I don't have any problem with you knowing," Yang replied. "Just keep the council, student body and anyone else from finding out."

Glynda nodded, accepting the request.

The elevator opened with a ding. The office was occupied and, with the sun still in the sky, quite well-lit. The man behind the desk looked up and Yang breathed a sigh of relief to see there was no one else here. "Captain Xiao-Long," he greeted. His eyes roamed over Roman and hardened a fraction, but he held his anger in and simply didn't address him. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I assume it _is_ a business-related matter. I hadn't heard of any of my students getting arrested _again_."

"Cinder isn't in her grave," Yang said, getting to the heart of the matter.

Ozpin and Glynda both flinched. "Excuse me?" the headmaster asked.

"Cinder Fall. Her body is no longer in her grave – or it never was in the first place. We dug it up," she added when it was clear he was going to ask how they knew. "The coffin is there and the reports from the morgue say her body was put in it, but it's not there now and there's no way it could decompose that quickly."

"Oh dear…" Ozpin placed a hand over his face and sighed into his palm. "This is… not quite what I expected to hear today, or to deal with. Forgive me if I'm a little slow on the uptake. Why did you check her body?"

"The recent attacks on the city and the hospital felt like the kind of thing she would do," Yang explained. "The White Fang were basically useless before she arrived to take over, and now that she's dead they haven't gone back to being like that. Dust raids have turned into poisonous chemicals and now gas bombs that could have killed hundreds of people. Someone is leading them."

"And you think it Cinder Fall?"

"I don't know. It's just that she had the means and the intelligence, along with the motive. It was a crazy idea but I wanted to head it off." She shrugged. "And then she wasn't there. So, I came to ask – did you remove her body?"

Ozpin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Yang!" Glynda gasped.

"I don't mean anything by it," she said, holding out her hand to stop them. "I'm not suggesting anything illegal – I'm just asking if you, the Council, Uncle Qrow, whatever, had anything to do with her body not being in its coffin. Whether that be for security or any other reason. I'm just trying to make sure I haven't got the wrong idea here and there isn't some perfectly reasonable explanation for what we just saw."

Ozpin sighed. "I wish I could tell you there was, Captain."

Yang grimaced. "I wish you could, too. You sure you can't?"

"My only interference with her body was to request she be buried quickly and discretely. I didn't want to give the White Fang a chance to rally about it, or the people of Vale a chance to call for some public display they would later regret. As far as I knew, it was buried."

"As far as the morgue knew, too." Yang tossed the folder onto the desk. She gave Ozpin a minute or two to look at it, and to grimace at the vivid images. "Is there any way that body could have been someone else's?" she asked. "It's… well, mutilated, so you can't really tell from the face alone."

"Cinder Fall died," Ozpin said. "I can promise you this. Whether or not the body here is hers, there is no doubt in my mind that her time on Remnant came to an end."

"And there's no way she could be brought back from the dead?"

"Semblances may be varied but such is impossible, absolutely impossible. Aura just isn't understood enough for something like that to work." Ozpin tapped a finger on the desk. "That said, I suppose it's possible someone may have taken the body, though for what purpose I cannot imagine."

"Ozpin," Glynda said nervously. "The maiden…"

"Glynda." The rebuke came quick and fast, silencing the woman.

"Something I should know?" Yang asked.

"Nothing related to this," Ozpin said, deflecting the issue. "There is nothing I can imagine of any worth in her body, and certainly no way of bringing her back from the dead. Any power she might have had – Semblance or otherwise-" Ozpin paused to stare at Glynda as he said it, "- will not last beyond death."

Glynda seemed to relax a little, which didn't do much of the same for Yang. They were hiding something. She was about to demand they tell her – invoking her position – when she felt Roman's foot tap against hers. The thief caught her eye and winked.

He knew. He knew what they were on about.

"I suppose that's fine then," she said, not pushing any more on the topic. "I just wanted to come by to make sure she was definitely dead, what with her body having been stolen and all. You really are sure she didn't survive, right? There was no way she could have lived?"

"If you would like to ascertain that for yourself you might want to speak with Miss Nikos," Ozpin said. "I'm sure she would be willing to answer a few questions – if asked as a friend and not part of a police investigation. Her account might put your mind at ease."

"That's not a bad idea…" Yang stroked her chin. "Are you okay with me talking to her?"

"Of course. I'm sure you'll respect her rights if she asks not to."

"Sure. Pyrrha's a friend."

"Then I see no problem. I'll look into this on the side," he added, tapping the report she'd left on his desk. "If you like, I can have some of my contacts spread their ears in the underworld. Qrow might also be able to assist."

"You'll give me Uncle Qrow?" Yang asked, surprised.

"I'll ask him if he's willing to lend his services to you," Ozpin countered. "I'm sure he will, but I can't exactly _give_ you a huntsman. He's currently investigating some other things on my behalf, but this matter has certainly become dire of late. I find I'm more concerned about what is happening within our city than outside. I shall recall him when I can."

"Thanks. I guess I'll go talk with Pyrrha."

"Will you need me to accompany you?" Glynda asked.

"Nah, I know the way." It was pretty obvious the two wanted to talk, and likely about something she wasn't supposed to hear. "I'll get out of your way real quick, so don't mind me."

Ozpin nodded. "Thank you – and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance. If you find anything else, don't hesitate to let me know, or to ask for help."

"Will do." Yang waved as she entered the elevator, Roman standing beside her. The moment the door was closed she turned to him. "What do you know?"

"Cinder always thought she was so secretive but her underlings weren't nearly so much. Mercury would know more and can tell you, but the basics was that Cinder wanted some kind of power, something to do with `maidens`. From what I was able to figure out, she'd get it by killing someone that was held in Beacon, and the power goes to the last person they were thinking about."

"That sounds contrived…"

"I don't make the rules," he said, shrugging. "Anyway, Ozpin was in the know, as was Ironwood. The whole attack on Beacon was mostly a diversion to let her get a hold of that power, and when your pal killed her… well, it had to go somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know. Whoever she was thinking of last. Point is, it wouldn't have stayed in her body, which was what the blonde was thinking earlier. So yeah, still no good reason for anyone to actually want to steal her body."

There wasn't much detail there but it was enough to calm her a little. She'd have to ask Mercury for more; assuming Cinder had told her cronies much about it. For now Yang focused on the task at hand, marching down the corridors as quickly as she could, Roman close behind. Team JNPR's dorm was right next to Team RWBY's, which made this meeting a perilous one.

Rumours would already by flying by now, too. There was no way the resident gossips weren't having a field day with Roman Torchwick and a missing student walking around the halls together in police uniforms. Yang felt a headache come on and brushed her brow with her hand. It was uncomfortably warm and she was sweating slightly. Had the prospect of this really rattled her that much?

Reaching their door, Yang knocked on it twice – and then a third time when she heard grumbling from within. Someone stood and approached the door, cracking it open a little bit. A pair of blue eyes appeared. "Hell- Yang!?"

"Vomit boy," she greeted, leaning her hand on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." It opened, revealing Jaune's face. It was frowning at her. "And can you drop the name already? I've not thrown up in months."

"You threw up not three days ago," Ren called from within. "Panicking about what to do on your first date with Pyrrha."

"What did I say about team secrets!?" Jaune yelped. "We're supposed to be bros!"

Yang laughed and pressed a palm against his face, winking. "Aw, you're adorable." She noticed him look to speak, and then his panic at who was behind her. "Ignore him by the way. He's – oof!" Something struck her body.

"Yang!" Nora cried, squeezing her bones fit to break. "It's been ages."

"Heh. Good to see you too. I take it things are a little more boring with me gone."

"They are," the boisterous girl said, pushing back. "It sucks. No food fights, no jokes and no starting random fights for the fun of it."

"Most wouldn't consider that entertainment, Nora," Ren said.

"Then most people are wrong."

Yang laughed. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Give me a little room." She shrugged out of Nora's grip and waved to Pyrrha. "Hey Pyrrha. Heard you managed to bag yourself some tall, blonde and scraggly. Nice work."

Pyrrha flushed. Behind her, she practically felt Jaune do the same. Sheesh, they were too easy.

"It's a recent development," Pyrrha said bashfully.

"What, the two of you getting together, or you mooning over him? Because I'll tell you now, the latter is definitely not a `new development`. Not in the slightest."

"Yang," Jaune croaked. "Please. It's… we're new to this."

"Oh, relax. I'm just teasing." Yang waved the awkwardness off with a laugh. "Seriously though, good work on getting together. You'll do great."

Pyrrha smiled a more natural smile. "Thank you. I would guess you came over for more than to just congratulate us, right? We heard about what happened with Team RWBY and… well…" Pyrrha nodded to her arm, which Yang instinctively hid by turning her body to the side. If they noticed, and they couldn't really miss it, then they at least gave her the courtesy of pretending she'd fooled them.

"You'd guess right. Have you heard about what I do now?"

"Have we ever!" Nora gasped, hands before her mouth. "Do you have the uniform? Silly question, you're _wearing_ the uniform. Do you have a badge? Can I-" Yang interrupted her by tossing Nora the badge. The ginger girl squealed happily and clutched it to her chest. "It even has your name on it! Best. Day. Ever!"

"I run the VSPR," Yang explained to the other three once Nora was distracted. "We work with threats above petty criminals and below Grimm, which right now means the White Fang and these recent attacks of theirs."

"We've heard about them," Ren said. "We also heard you managed to stop some. That is commendable work."

"Aw, thanks." It seemed all too rare that she got genuine praise for her actions at the moment. They really were the best. "Anyway, we've got a bit of a situation – can't tell you more, I'm afraid – but I needed to ask Pyrrha some questions. I have Ozpin's permission."

"Me?" Pyrrha looked surprised and also a little nervous.

"Nothing bad and nothing you've done wrong. I just need to ask some stuff about Cinder and your fight with her on top of the tower."

"Well, I suppose that's fine. I really have told everyone all I can remember though…"

She'd read those reports already and seen the detail, but it wasn't quite what she wanted. Seeing Pyrrha uncomfortable had set Jaune off however, and it looked like he was going to leap to his newfound girlfriend's defence whether it was needed or not. "It's not about what she did or how and it won't take long," she assured, hoping to beat them to it. "I just want to know about the final blow."

Pyrrha's face became, if possible, even less comfortable. "The killing blow, you mean…"

"Yeah." Yang moved over to sit down on the edge of Pyrrha's bed. It was partly to help Pyrrha feel better, but also because she was feeling a little fatigued herself. Her skin felt clammy. "I know it's not something you probably want to talk about and I want you to know I'm off the record here. No badge, see? Nora has it." There was a little laugh from Pyrrha at the joke. "Anyway, there is maybe sort of kinda some suggestion she might still be alive and-"

"That's impossible," Pyrrha said immediately.

"You're sure?"

"I'm absolutely certain. I… the fight was the most difficult I've ever faced but I couldn't mistake how it ended. She shot an arrow at me which pierced through my ankle and heel." She reached down to touch her foot and Yang winced at the imagined agony. "I was all but dead but for Ruby appearing and distracting her. It only bought me a second but that was all I needed. I was able to use my Semblance to summon my spear back to my hand, and I thrust it directly into her heart."

"Her aura didn't block it?"

"It broke before that. I managed to take it down when I made a lot of metal cogs slam into her. Ozpin's office had a lot of those for some reason…"

"And it's been rebuilt already," Nora added. "That's kind of weird."

"Either way, I couldn't mistake what happened there," Pyrrha continued. "I felt my spear go through her heart and saw her breathe her last. She coughed blood out onto me and collapsed over my body. I can still feel it sometimes. I know she was dead and Ruby confirmed it. There was no heartbeat at all and… and… I know from another way."

Another way? Yang's mind went blank but a pointed cough from Roman jogged her memory. "Is it the maiden?" she asked, going out on a limb.

It was a good one, apparently. Pyrrha stared at her in shock. "You know!?"

"I may have been told."

"Did Ozpin tell you?"

"Glynda mentioned it," Yang said, skirting with the truth. "Ozpin just made it clear it was meant to be a secret, but I figured you knew."

"Yes, I… Ozpin chose me to be the maiden but the procedure only worked half as well as it should. When Cinder arrived in the basement she fired an arrow to kill Amber, the last maiden. Jaune blocked it with his shield." She smiled at her partner, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I didn't manage to stop her, though…"

"You bought us time, Jaune. Because of that I was able to get half of the maiden's power before Cinder knocked Jaune aside and killed Amber. She gained the other half as the last woman on Amber's mind. I didn't know how to use the power but it gave me the added strength I needed against Cinder," Pyrrha said. "And when she died, I gained the rest of the power directly from her."

"You took Cinder's power?"

"Yes."

And that, according to Roman and now Pyrrha, was the only possible if the one bearing it was dead. As in Dead with a capital D, the no-coming-back kind of dead. Even if Pyrrha's account of running that bitch through the heart wasn't enough, this confirmed it. This wasn't Cinder, not by a long shot. It was just someone who was apparently determined enough to not only continue her work but also steal her dead body. Someone who could also masquerade as both Annabelle Butters and herself in order to fool key individuals.

That narrowed the list down a fair bit. Down to two people, in fact – and one of those people was already working for her, so this probably wasn't Neo's doing. Yang scowled and scratched her wrist on the bedpost next to her.

"Thanks, Pyrrha. This helps more than you realise."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance," she said, clearly relieved the questions hadn't gone further or deeper. "I'm also really sorry about what happened to you, Yang. If there's anything I can do…"

"We," Jaune interrupted. "If there's anything _we_ can do to help…"

"You guys." Yang grinned at them, half-wanting to drag them in for a hug. There was two of them though and she only had the one arm. "It means a lot, trust me. I'd better get going though, I want to be out of here before anyone else notices."

"Wait!"

Yang froze, as did Roman. Their eyes turned to Nora.

"Can I join the VSPR?"

"Nora!" Jaune gasped.

"But I still want to be on Team JNPR," she said, "I just want a badge. And a uniform. And a police car. And maybe a cool one-liner and a police buddy to go with it."

"Such a small list of demands," Roman drawled.

Yang laughed it off. "Sorry Nora. The only way to get into the VSPR is to be a criminal. Or to be me, I guess." A thought occurred to her, a dangerous thought. "And that's not an invitation to go and break a bunch of people's legs!"

Nora deflated, already half up and smiling wildly. "Aww…"

Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tell you what, if we have an open day I'll invite you down, and if we get any spare or damaged badges I'll see if I can have one with your name on it made." Call her soft but Nora had always been too awesome to disappoint like that. "It won't be official, though. Don't make me come and take it back off you."

"Eee! You're the best!"

"Heh, and don't you forget it. Anyway, I really need to be gone now. Preferably before-"

The door to Team JNPR's room opened with a slam. Three bodies squeezed in.

"YANG!" Ruby cried.

"Ya- Torchwick!" Blake seethed, drawing her weapon.

"Wait, wait, wait," Weiss cried, trying to restore order. It didn't help that Roman had drawn his own weapon and looked perfectly willing - even eager - to violently defend himself. Jaune looked worried. Nora looked ecstatic. Yang just sighed as her headache pounded even harder through her skull.

"Preferably before this happens…"

* * *

 **Uh-oh. Confrontation time. The thing that Yang's been trying her hardest to avoid and it's now shoved in her face. This ought to be good. Anyway, this chapter focused heavily on the mystery of Cinder's body, which may not feel incredibly important to the plot, but kind of is.**

 **Still, I knew it might not be the most scintillating of aspects in a fic based on an action show, which is why it was done relatively quickly here. Visit morgue, visit graveyard, confirm with Pyrrha. Job done. Is it necessary? Yes. Is it slow for some people? Maybe, but that's why I've compressed it into a single chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 18**

* * *

In hindsight, it was probably inevitable. Even if she'd tried her hardest to be in and out before they noticed, there was only so much you could do when you were a one-armed former student wandering the halls beside one of the most famous criminals in Remnant. Rumours flew fast, but not as fast as her sister did.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted. "When were you going to tell us you were here?"

"I was thinking never," she whispered, though apparently not quietly enough as Blake's eyes narrowed. "Look, I'm here on work and I don't have time to stay. Come on, Roman, we're leaving."

"Can't complain about that," the thief said.

"Not so fast," Blake snapped, slipping in front of the door with her arms held wide. "You have the time to come here and talk to Team JNPR but not us?" She looked to Ruby and Weiss for aid, the former of which nodded and moved over to stand next to Blake.

Weiss didn't know what to do and ultimately stood on the outskirts, unwilling to pick a side. For that at least, she earned Yang's respect.

"We're your team, Yang. I know you're upset but you can't just ignore us. We don't even hear from you anymore. You're running around with criminals doing who knows what, and that's the kind of thing you would have taken me to task for before!"

Her temper spiked, as it had every time she thought about them. Even so, in the middle of Team JNPR's dorm, Yang fought for calm. The bigger person would walk away, and as satisfying as a shouting match might have been, the thought of ignoring Blake like she was a petty little child was appealing.

"That's the difference between you and me, Blake. I do this because it's my job. To you, it was an obsession." Yang felt almost vindictively pleased at the shock on Blake's face. "And besides, I'm talking to Team JNPR on work matters," she said. Yang looked to Pyrrha for agreement and the redhead nodded.

"It's true," Jaune added. "Yang was here on work."

"So, there you have it," she said. "Now, I've got other work to be doing, so how about the two of you step aside and let us leave."

"Not until we've had a chance to talk," Ruby said, leaping recklessly into the firing line.

"Ruby…" Yang's tone turned warning, a sound the younger girl had heard plenty of times before. She shied back, but faced with Blake behind her, held her ground.

"I'm not giving up. W-We need to talk, Yang."

Irritation boiled under the surface of her skin. It was like a fire spreading through her, tickling her fingers and itching to be used. Through clenched teeth, she took several deep breaths and let them go. When she spoke, her voice was calm and measured, though it contained an unmistakeable brittleness to it. "I'm really not in the mood for this right now. You're obstructing a police officer and interfering in a police investigation." She strode up to stand before Ruby and Blake, eyes narrowed. "Move."

Ruby shied away but Blake held her ground. "I'm not going anywhere," she said. "We need to talk and you're avoiding the situation."

"One might almost think that's for a good reason!" Yang hissed.

"We can't continue like this. We need to talk."

Yang's heart thumped in her chest. Her vision swam. Through gritted teeth, she let out a hiss of breath. "Okay, you want to talk? I'll give you one word. Pick it wisely."

"Yang-"

"Wrong word. What you were looking for was `sorry`. Unless, of course, you're not, in which case I don't care to hear even a single word from you." She pushed forward, using her height to force Blake to take a step back. "There, we talked. Will you move now?"

"No."

Yang's mind _burned_

"You're obstructing an officer."

"And you're avoiding the issue," Blake accused. "You can't keep running away from-"

Blake's head snapped to the side. She stumbled.

Team JNPR gasped.

Ruby whimpered.

"YANG!" Weiss howled.

Blake was on one knee, eyes wide and one hand coming up to gingerly touch her cheek, which was red and swollen from where Yang's fist had impacted. She looked shocked, not that anyone in the room was any different. Even Roman looked nervous.

Yang was shocked too, and for a moment stared down at the fist she'd just sent crashing into her best friend's cheek like she didn't recognise it. Her knuckles were red from the impact. Her heart was hammering away at an incredible speed and she felt dizzy.

But satisfied.

So very, very satisfied…

Her eyes turned onto the shocked girl.

"Fuck you," Yang hissed, angrier than she'd ever been before. Her blood was _boiling_. "You don't get to talk to me about running away, not when you ran away from your responsibility to tell me what you'd all decided behind my back. Not like you ran away _all the damn time_ whenever something went wrong, you hypocritical bitch." With clenched teeth, she pushed past the downed girl, and also Ruby, who swiftly got out of her way, practically in tears. Somehow, that made Yang even angrier. What right did _she_ have to cry? "Roman," she snapped. "We're leaving."

"Y-Yeah. Sure thing, boss."

No one dared impede her this time. The door slammed shut behind her and Roman, satisfyingly so, but even that wasn't enough to completely get rid of the fury inside. How dare Blake say that? How dare she act like this was _her_ fault!

They needed to have words, did they? Well, unless the first word out of their damned mouths was `sorry`, she didn't want to hear it.

"That was a little bit much, don't you think?" Roman asked. "Aren't they your friends?"

"Friends don't betray one another."

"Yeah, I get that but still, aren't you trying to get back on their team? That's not going to be easy if you burn all your bridges now."

"Since when did you care?" Yang snapped. She tried to leave it there but was unable to. Fuck it. Her patience was shot. She rounded on the thief and jabbed her finger into his chest with enough force to push him back. "In fact, to hell with you! This is your fault in the first place. If you hadn't sided with Cinder none of this would have happened. If you hadn't turned the Paladins against Atlas, I wouldn't have had to run after Blake on my own."

"I went to prison for those things."

"And how long did you spend there, huh? Not enough time!" Her hand gripped his collar and dragged his face down to hers. "You're free because of _me_. Because I need you. But I only need you because of what you and your lot did to me! I should kill you myself right here!"

"Whoah, whoah," Roman broke her grip with relative ease and ducked back before she could grab him again. "I get that you're angry but I've not done anything to deserve it. At least not at the moment…"

"Not done anything!? You're the worst kind of human scum imaginable!"

"Yang!" Weiss called, catching up and panting harshly. "Yang, what on Remnant were you thinking back there? I know Blake touched a nerve but-"

"Oh great, and now the ice bitch herself comes by to lecture me. This is perfect."

"E-Excuse me…? What have I done?" Weiss shook her head, equal parts offended and annoyed. "No, this isn't about me. Yang Xiao-Long, I understand you're angry but violence isn't the answer. You can't just—ah!" Weiss cut off with a gasp as Roman pulled her back, coincidentally out of the way of danger.

Yang's fist swung harmlessly through the air.

"Did you just try to punch me?" Weiss hissed. "What the hell has gotten into you, Yang?"

"Calm down, boss," Roman urged. "This isn't like you."

Calm down? Calm down!? No, this wasn't like her – but maybe it should be. Her team had abandoned her just like that, thrown her away when she wasn't strong enough to matter and left her to suffer on her own. Even when she'd joined the VSPR, it was the same thing. Why was she, injured as she was, expected to lead criminals to stop more criminals? That was bullshit! And here, in front of her face, they had the nerve to tell her _she_ was the one acting out?

To hell with them. To hell with all of them! Yang's breath came out in sharp pants and sweat beaded on her brow. They'd betrayed her time and time again and all she'd done was try her best to protect Blake from being killed. Was that something to be punished over?

Blake _deserved_ to be punched in the face. She deserved to lose her arm so Yang could have her own back! And Ruby, her little sister, who she'd bent over backwards to look after when Summer died. How much had she given up for her little sister, only for Ruby to not repay it even an _ounce_ when it was she who needed help?

Her eyes clenched shut. Her teeth bit her bottom lip so hard it bled. Her skull was pounding and her tongue felt too large for her mouth. She was hot. So very hot. On fire, practically.

"Yang?" Weiss asked, suddenly worried. "Yang, what's wrong?"

What was wrong? What was wrong!?

They were what was wrong! They betrayed her!

Yang's eyes snapped open.

/-/

Roman's eyes narrowed the moment the boss' head lowered, hiding her face in shadows. This anger, while kind of understandable, was still a little much. He wasn't sure where it had come from, whether it had festered beneath the surface or roared to life like a wildfire, but the last thing they needed was their Captain going off the deep end.

And then she went very, very still.

"Yang, are you listening to me?" the annoying Schnee girl demanded. "What's happening to you? You're not like this and I've never seen you so angry before. I thought we were better." She moved forwards, reaching out a hand. "I thought we'd made up…"

Yang's hand twitched back. Her foot shifted.

Roman's eyes widened.

Weiss cried out as she was knocked aside.

A gunshot cracked in the corridor.

Roman slumped back with a hand to his waist, cupping a wound that hadn't pierced aura but had blown the wind out of him. His cane lashed out and cracked against Yang's knuckles, knocking the gun from it and sending it skittering down the corridor.

The Schnee girl was on her hands and knees, eyes wide. She'd been utterly unprepared, hence his intervention, and there was a damn good chance she'd have not gotten her aura up in time. With the height difference between him and her, the bullet would have gone right through her heart. She looked very afraid.

"Y-Yang? Did you… why… I don't understand…"

"Use your eyes, brat," Roman howled, forcing himself to stand. "The Captain isn't there."

"What?" Weiss looked up and gasped, no doubt seeing what he did – the lines across Yang's face, the skin peeled back as she snarled less like a human and more like a wild animal. And her eyes, they were bright crimson and lost to madness. "No," Weiss whispered. "It's not possible…"

Roman knew it well. "Fang…"

Yang howled like a Beowolf and leapt at Weiss. Even with one arm, the ferocity of the attack, not to mention that the Schnee was unarmed, drove them both to the floor and gave Yang the advantage. She slammed her fist into the side of the girl's cheek, stunning her, and would have landed another but for Roman kicking her off.

He hauled whitey to her feet. "Get your head in the game, idiot."

"B-But Yang. How…?"

"No idea, but that doesn't matter now." Roman grimaced, measuring their options. They were in the middle of Beacon and Yang had just opened fire on a student. While no one would blame her when she was under the influence of Fang, this was just the kind of scandal the Council were looking for. They had to lead Yang away before some gossiping students realised what was going on. "Go back and get your team," he said, shoving the still shocked girl away. "Or better yet, get the other team – the one with the Nikos girl. We need to subdue her."

"Y-Yes. I understand." Weiss spared an anguished look for her maddened teammate.

"Don't waste time! Get moving!"

His warning proved enough and the girl stumbled away, shouting at the top of her lungs for her friends. Okay, good. That was one problem out of the way. The stupid brat was too out of it to defend herself and he knew the boss would lose her mind for real if she heard how she'd killed one of her friends.

 _You've been aggressive for a while now,_ he thought. _Can't believe I didn't see the signs earlier._ The Fang Virus was normally a lot more active though, infecting people almost instantaneously. He wasn't sure where the Captain had picked it up, but this was different.

"Either way, I've got to get you out of here," he said. "Oi, can you hear me, boss?"

Yang's crimson eyes locked onto his, not with understanding but at least some level of comprehension. She could hear him. Whether the words meant anything was up in the air, but she could definitely respond to him.

Well, he had a feeling he'd be paying for this later but sacrifices had to be made.

"I remember that look, Captain. It's the look of a berserker. You were like that when I kicked your ass in that big robot. A shame you didn't tap into it in time to save yourself losing an arm, huh?" He laughed loudly, noticing how her breathing became even harsher. "Of course, I guess that's why your team got rid of you. If you can't even look after yourself, how can they expect you to watch their backs? Ha. Talk about a failure."

"Rarghh!" Yang screamed, closing the distance between them. Her fist whistled in front of his face, missing by a few inches – and her swing with her other arm did the same seeing as it ended at the elbow. The real Captain would have never done that; she was too ashamed of her disability to make it obvious.

"Oh sure, attack me like a stupid animal," he taunted, circling the girl and placing his back to a window. "I'm sure that'll solve everything. Thing is, that's what you do. You try and pound every problem into the dust like it's the only solution. Then again, you're not exactly one for diplomacy, are you? Is that because you're too dumb to understand it, or is it just because you're blonde?"

He caught her elbow on Melodic Cudgel, wincing at the sheer force behind the blow that pushed him a foot or more backwards. Had she always been that strong, or was the Fang Virus simply making it impossible for her to hold anything back?

"And you whine like a bitch about how it's my fault for letting Cinder get away with what she did, when you forget the big issue," he laughed. "I'm a criminal. It's not _my job_ to stop the bad guys. It's yours. And you, my dear, failed spectacularly."

It was the last straw. Where before Yang had swung and kicked, this time she _launched_ herself at him with both arms outstretched, one with fingers targeted towards his eyes.

Roman grinned. "Heh, checkmate."

Her hand brushed by his face and caught in his collar, grasping the material there even as he hooked both his arms under hers. He winced as her forehead slammed into his. With the Captain firmly in hand, he leapt back, crashing through the window with her in tow and hurtling down towards the grass below.

Yang got in several good scratches en route, trying to tear into his skin with her fingernails. Not trusting her to land – or even notice what was happening – he hooked his body under hers and landed himself, catching and then throwing the crazed teen aside. She rolled twice across the grass, skidded as she leapt back onto her feet, and charged towards him once more.

Up above, he could hear the shouting from the girl he'd sent after her teammates. He'd have called them late except for the fact he'd never intended for them to help in the first place. Their job was just to be a distraction, since now anyone who came by to see what had caused that gunshot would just assume it was one of those idiots.

Of course, that meant he had to deal with the current problem, which was glaring at him with eyes filled with hatred.

"I guess it wouldn't mean much for me to say I only said all that shit to get you angry, would it?"

Yang growled like a feral dog. It was confirmation, if he needed any that she just wasn't there anymore. If he'd been a man to feel guilt that might have assuaged it, but luckily for him – and unluckily for her – he wasn't.

"Yeah, I thought not." He sighed dramatically and brought out his cane once more. "Alright, let's get this over with. Just don't come whining to me when you feel like crap in the morning. Just remember, I'm doing this for you, not for me."

Even if he'd maybe enjoy it just a little bit…

/-/

"Where is she?" Ruby demanded, out of her mind with worry.

"I don't know," Weiss replied. She'd only meant to get Team JNPR but it wasn't like her own hadn't heard the noise. "She was just here with Torchwick."

"What if he's done something with her?" Blake asked.

"What could he possibly do that's any worse than what's already happening?" Weiss' eyes scanned the corridor, taking in the smashed window before fixing on the discarded gun. Rushing over, she picked it up before someone could notice it. "Torchwick must have taken her outside. Come on, we need to catch up before something happens."

"Something like what?" Jaune asked, panting.

"Something like Yang _murders_ someone."

"She wouldn't do that!"

Weiss didn't bother to answer, too lost in her own frustration as she raced down the corridor towards the staircases. She couldn't remember anything of her time under the influence of Fang, but the results had been obvious enough. If it wasn't for Yang, she might have killed someone. Now, with their positions reversed, she couldn't ignore what was happening.

And worse, Weiss had a feeling this was all her fault. _I was the last person infected by Fang and I bit her. I noticed her scratching the wound the day before and didn't think anything of it. I'm such an idiot._

Did Fang travel by saliva? She didn't know. But the bank had been filled with the gas and even if there hadn't been any on her teeth when she bit her friend, there was a chance the open wound had been contaminated by the gas itself in some way. A relatively small dose if it had taken this long to take hold, but still one _she_ had administered.

Bad enough here, but what if Yang had lost control in the middle of Vale?

No, she couldn't think about it. All that mattered was finding her and putting a stop to this. At the bottom of the staircase, Weiss caught Ruby and Blake by the shoulders and dragged them back. "Ruby, you need to find Ozpin and tell him what's happening. Blake, get to the infirmary and tell Miss Tsune."

Predictably, neither was happy with her decision.

"What!?"

"Weiss, my sister is out there!"

"Yang is hopped up on a drug that is making her hyper-aggressive, and right now _the two of you_ are making it worse," she said, throwing aside caution and sympathy. The truth hurt them, she could tell, but now wasn't the time to mince words. "We need to calm her down if possible and you're not helping. The best people for this are Team JNPR and me."

"Why you? Aren't you in just as much trouble as us?"

"Not necessarily…"

Understanding dawned on Ruby's face, along with betrayal at the realisation that Weiss had made up with Yang – and likely spent time with her – without telling her. Weiss flinched at it but still pushed her team leader away.

"I'll explain later and it was what she asked of me. Just go. The longer you sit around to argue, the longer Yang goes without help."

"She's right," Blake said, equally unhappy, equally upset Weiss had gone behind their backs. "Pyrrha can handle Yang and she'll need to see a doctor straight after. We _will_ talk about this later though, Weiss."

"Sure, whatever. Just get a bed at the infirmary ready."

The two ran off and Weiss quickly motioned to Team JNPR, who had been waiting patiently. They knew the stakes and were all eager to help, being on better terms with Yang since they'd had no say in any decisions regarding her. In that way, Weiss envied them. She knew she'd made her own mistakes and that even the apology she'd given and had accepted would never be enough to really wash away the pain she felt. Still, misery here wouldn't serve Yang any.

"What is our goal?" Ren asked. Calm, collected and straight to the point. Weiss liked that about him.

"We need to knock Yang out. That's the best way to deal with the virus and what she did to me. Once it's had a chance to work its way out of her system, she'll be able to recover."

"Can she still use aura?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. You won't need to worry about accidentally hurting her so long as you don't go crazy."

"Thank goodness." Pyrrha breathed an audible sigh of relief, and Weiss pretended not to know why. The championship fighter had become more nervous of late, particularly after her inability to control her own strength had ended with Penny torn to pieces before their eyes.

It wasn't her fault, but Pyrrha often blamed herself. Weiss could understand her being nervous about the same potentially happening to Yang.

The sounds of combat from the Emerald Forest caught their attention, altering their path towards it. Rather than the howls of Grimm, dead or dying, it was the rhythmic impact of steel, flesh and the occasional crack of a tree. Yang and Torchwick were still fighting. Considering Beacon's students, fights in the forest weren't rare, which would at least mean no one would notice.

They broke through the treeline in time to see Yang pushed back into a tree by a solid kick from Torchwick. She slammed into it, paused for a second, and then charged back with not a care for any pain or injury.

The fight was not an even one already. Torchwick had been strong enough to require multiple members of their team to fight, and right now Yang was lacking both an arm, her weapons and the tactical mind she might have normally used. More like a human Grimm than her real self, she paid no heed to her openings and suffered for it.

"Oh hey," Roman called after he knocked Yang back down. "Looks like the peanut gallery has arrived. Any of you bring some chloroform?"

Weiss gaped.

"No? Welp, looks like we're doing this the old fashion way." The thief grunted as Yang's fist slammed into his forearm. Though he managed to hold her off and hurl her over his head with his other arm, he still winced and cradled his bruised skin. "Damn she's strong. Not much technique, but she hits like a truck. Oi, you lot just going to stand there or what?"

"Is that… she looks so different," Jaune said.

Weiss grimaced. Yang did look different. Her face was red and flushed, cover in sweat. She panted harshly, almost bent double more like a monkey than a human, with one arm – her good one – trailing low, and her stump on the trunk of a tree. Her eyes flickered over them now, bright red and shining worse than any Grimm's. She bared her teeth at them.

"That's what Fang does to you," Roman said. "You were no better, Snow White."

"Knock her out," Weiss said through gritted teeth. "Knock her out for her sake. Don't hold back or she'll hate you for it."

Pyrrha nodded and drew her weapon. "I can see that. Very well, let's get this over with."

If there had been any trace of Yang left, the way she charged them – all five of them – put that to bed. No sane fighter would have taken such odds, but the enraged blonde felt no such fear and lashed out.

Jaune might have fallen instantly a few weeks ago, and it was to his credit that he got his shield up in time here, even if he did fall back a little under the furious assault. It dragged Yang into the middle of their group, opening up her flanks. "Now!" Jaune called. "While she's distracted!"

"That's our team leader," Nora cheered. "Always with the strategy."

"I didn't plan this! Help me!"

Weiss closed in with Ren towards Yang's left, while Pyrrha and Nora took the right. The blonde saw them both but chose to attack Weiss before any other. Was that a sign that her anger persisted even though the drug-induced rage, or was it dumb luck? There was no way to tell and no time to think on it once her ex-teammate was upon her. Hesitant to use Myrtenaster on an ally, she held back and paid for it, doubling over Yang's fist as it buried so deep into her stomach that it felt like she might grasp and tear out her spine.

"Weiss!" Ren cried, lashing out empty-handed. He caught Yang's shoulder and pulled the arm free, twisted it and kicked her away. "Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on Weiss' back.

"I-I'm fine. Help her!"

Pyrrha flickered around Yang's attacks, probing with her own but obviously reluctant to use naked steel on a friend, even if she did have aura. If Fang robbed Yang of normal thought, then it was possible she would fight on after her aura was expanded, and the first they'd know of it would be when one of them accidentally beheaded her.

That hesitation gave Yang the advantage and she drove Pyrrha back, even with only a single hand. Nora hovered nearby with hammer at the ready but the combatants were too intertwined for her to attack without striking Pyrrha. She jabbed instead with the butt of it, poking Yang away to try and build some distance.

Luckily, Roman held no such warm and fuzzy thoughts of friendship and hooked his cane around Yang's throat while she was distracted. Using both hands, he throttled her, leaning backwards so that Yang was dragged against his body and lifted off the floor. Her cheeks turned blue as she gagged and gasped for air, the fingers of one hand scrabbling at her neck and her stump slapping against his face.

"Just give it up," he grunted. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

It looked like she might for a moment, or just run of out oxygen, but Yang's eyes flashed and her hair started to glow a bright golden colour. Steam rushed up off her body and Roman was forced to drop her with an angry gasp.

Weiss' eyes widened. "Get back!" she yelled. "She's using her Semblance!"

Team JNPR heard immediately and ceased their assault, afraid to feed it more, and even Roman backed away, clearly recognising the signs and recalling that moment where Yang had punched a _Paladin_ through a concrete support pillar, destroying both. If she could do that to a huge robot weight however many tonnes, Weiss dreaded what Yang could do to an actual person, aura or not.

They were about to find out…

The steam rising off Yang's body grew ever stronger, distorting the air around her. Her long hair shone like a star and sweat poured down her face. Both arms came up before her, even if only one had a hand that could curl into a fist. Yang cocked it, snarling at them all.

And then – with a gasp – froze. Crimson eyes flashed back to lilac, wide with fear.

Her body slumped to the floor a second later.

/-/

"Will she be okay?" Weiss asked the faunus doctor, who was leaning over Yang's body checking her vitals. Torchwick was sat in the corner, avoided by everyone and ignoring Miss Goodwitch's sharp glares. Ozpin stood on the other side, looking down at the unconscious officer.

"By all accounts she should be fine," Tsune said. "I've been briefed on Fang as much as I can be, and the results all show the effects don't last beyond an initial engagement. It works its way out of the body somehow, or is expended."

"How does that work?" Torchwick asked.

"I'm afraid I have no idea. Still, Miss Xiao-Long here presents the best opportunity we will have to investigate the virus. I took the liberty of taking some of her blood for analysis."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Don't you need her permission for that?"

"Yep." The faunus smiled, unapologetic. "That's why I said `took the liberty`. Regardless, I doubt she'll complain. I'll just take a look at this tonight and see what I can find. It'll really depend on how much of it is left in her bloodstream."

"This is the first case of Fang having a delayed influence," Ozpin interrupted. "Is this something we will need to watch out for in the future, Tsune?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think this was intentional on the White Fang's part. It's more likely a residual amount of Fang ingested from her last encounter at the bank. I'll be able to tell you more in the morning, however." The fox faunus' eyes lit up. "I'm more interested in how she managed to knock herself out. No other individual infected has managed to end it themselves. They usually keep fighting until they suffer enough trauma to lose consciousness."

The doctor moved over to a machine quickly and fed the tube of blood into it. "If I can isolate how she did that, it might be possible to find a way to fight the infection chemically, or even destroy the virus entirely."

"That is a good point. Please keep me informed of what you discover." The headmaster looked pleased at the prospect. "If you need any funding to go further with this, let me know. I can have some sent your way from the Council. And thank you. Miss Schnee, you've done well tonight and your quick thinking prevented the situation becoming much worse. I think it might be best if you left your teammate here to recover for a while, however. She needs her rest. Roman…" Ozpin's face twisted. "I shall have a private room made available for you to stay in."

"Will it have room service? I'd like little mints on my pillow and a bottle of shiraz."

The headmaster didn't respond. Instead, he waved Miss Goodwitch to deal with him, leading to a dejected sigh from both the thief and the woman herself.

Recognising a dismissal when it was handed to her, Weiss spared a final glance for Yang, still unconscious, before she let herself out of the infirmary. Arc was waiting outside, arms crossed and leaning on a wall. "How is she?"

"Alive. Thank you for your help."

"No problem. The whole team wanted to stay, but it's late and I told them to get some rest. Figured I could stay behind and find out for them. How are you?"

Once upon a time his interest might have irritated her, but ever since the attack and his new relationship with Pyrrha, Weiss had found herself relaxing around him. Now that neither had to worry about unwanted feelings or rejection, she wouldn't call him a friend, but he was as much a friend as Ren, Nora or Pyrrha were, and that was an improvement.

"I will be fine, thank you. I've experienced Fang before, so it's a little easier for me to accept she'll be herself in the morning. It's Ruby and Blake I'm more worried about."

"Hm. I saw Ruby running off earlier. I think Blake's up on the roof, and from what I saw she didn't look good." The hint was about as subtly given as Jaune Arc could, which meant not at all.

"I'll see to her. Can you talk to Ruby for me?"

He nodded. "I was going to anyway. Good luck."

It didn't take all that long to find Blake. Jaune had said the rooftops, which might have meant any of them, but since his training with Pyrrha had been about as secret as Port's obsession with himself, she knew exactly which one he meant. The air was cold when she let herself up onto it, but the moon and stars were out, which made spotting Blake in the dark an easy task. The girl was sat near the edge, not on it or close enough to cause concern, but a small distance away with her knees drawn up to her chest and her chin resting upon them.

Weiss moved over and sat down next to her, folding her own legs under her and leaning on one arm. "Yang's going to be fine," she said after a moment's silence. "She'll wake up tomorrow and probably won't even remember what happened. Since she somehow managed to knock herself out, we didn't even end up hurting her."

Blake nodded but otherwise didn't move. She wrapped her arms around her legs and hid her face from view. At any other time, Weiss might have been more sympathetic, but it was late, she was tired, and she'd just gotten done fighting a berserk Yang.

"What? What's the problem?"

"Yang hates me…"

"Yang was affected by the Fang Virus," Weiss corrected sternly. "If this is about her punching you, I'm sure that was it already taking hold of her. She tried to _shoot_ me, and unless you're suggesting I've done something worth being _murdered_ over, I think you can count that Yang didn't mean to hurt you like that. She would never have done that normally."

"You don't understand. It's not what she did but what she said. Maybe the Fang Virus makes you angry, but it has to play on something. It can't just _create_ feelings you don't have." Blake laughed bitterly. "There's that old saying about wine and the truth, isn't there? It applies here. Yang might not have done that normally, but her words – everything she said – she feels that. That's how she sees me. And she's right…"

Weiss had no answer.

"I don't think it's that simple…"

"Why not? She said I betrayed her and she's right. I accused her of running away, but I'm her partner. I _was_ her partner," she corrected. "I should have been the one to tell her what had been decided. Instead, I ran away from the responsibility like I ran away from the team when you found out I was a faunus." Blake's frustration was clear. "I swore I'd talk to you all before running away again, and I didn't."

Weiss tried to argue, to say it wasn't true, but a stern look from Blake silenced her. And really, how could she say it wasn't true? They really had done all of those things and Yang had every right to be angry at them.

"Alright, you're not wrong there," she finally said, "but you're not right either. Yang has every right to be angry at you, and me and Ruby – and she is. Even if I've talked to her, and yes, I did behind your back, even if we're making things better between us, it's not perfect yet. I've got a lot of apologising to do, and Yang will have to decide whether she forgives me or not. So yes," she said, "You're right when you say Yang is angry at us and that she's right to be."

"But you're dead wrong when you say she hates us," Weiss suddenly snapped.

"But-"

"No buts! Yang has stood by us for ages and has always had our backs. We slept together, studied together and suffered together. If you think she'd go straight from that to hating you, just because you did something to make her angry, then frankly you're the one who needs a good slap." Weiss relented a little when she saw the shock on Blake's face, continuing on in a calmer voice. "She's angry, Blake. The Fang Virus has twisted that anger into hate, convinced her that she hated us, but that's all. Yang doesn't hate you any more than she wanted to shoot and kill me. Or are you suggesting she'd go that far over someone she hates?"

"No, of course not!" Blake cried, shocked at the very idea. "She'd never do that!"

"Then there you have it. It can't be one thing and then the other, and you holding your own little pity party doesn't help her, you or the team." Again, were the situation better she might have found a different way to word that, but the night was already too much of a mess. It was all she could do to stay awake.

"I'm a terrible friend," Blake groaned, hiding her face once more.

"You made a mistake," Weiss countered, poking the faunus in the side. "The same way you did when you assumed I was racist because of my last name. I didn't hate you for that, even if it did make me angry, and Yang won't hate you for this. A terrible friend wouldn't feel bad for what happened. A terrible friend wouldn't be up here beating herself up."

"I… I need to apologise…"

"You do," Weiss allowed. "I definitely needed to, and probably still do a little more."

"But I was worried about her. She only had one arm. What if Adam came back like he said he would and Yang was between us once more?" Her voice cracked. "I… I don't want to see her be killed."

"Then maybe we should have explained that to her. Well, there's no `maybe` about it. We should have sat down as a team, told her what Ozpin decided and then discussed how we were going to help her get around it."

"But we ran away from the responsibility… just like she said."

Weiss grimaced. "We did."

"I'm such a coward."

"We all were. Are."

They sat in silence for a little longer, Weiss having run out of words and Blake apparently not having any to give. After a few minutes had ticked by, Weiss sighed and stood back up again. "I'm going to get some rest. Best thing I can do right now, and I might as well be up and ready to visit her in the morning."

Blake didn't respond.

"I already apologised to her and we've made some peace, but I'm still going to do the same tomorrow, on hands and knees if I have to."

"I thought a Schnee didn't get on their knees for anyone…"

"A Schnee does for the right kind of person," Weiss countered. She considered what she'd just said and sighed. "And if Yang were here right now, I can see in what direction she'd take _that_ comment. Regardless, I'm not going to run away and hide tomorrow. I'm going to go see her and face any of her anger head on."

She stepped away, but paused at the stairs leading down to call back.

"It's up to you whether you want to be there with me."

* * *

 **Oh for bloody hell's sake, the big confrontation got delayed! Or, well, it sort of did and sort of didn't. Yes, last chapter strongly hinted at a big moment this chapter, but the Chekhov's of the itch, the bite and the infection all demanded their own content.**

 **That said, words were said and worlds have been shaken – and Yang may have, whether she realises it or not, helped to provide a potential breakthrough.**

 **And, of course, there will be more team dialogue next chapter. I'm not dodging it, just making sure to have it in the right order, and I wanted a little extra** _ **fuel**_ **to be added onto the bonfire before they get a chance to properly talk. Now, all of Yang's rage and bitterness is out in the open.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, well, well, here we are again.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 19**

* * *

Yang groaned and reached up with one hand to massage her face. Instead of said hand, a stump brushed against her chin. With an even fiercer scowl, she put her right arm down and brought her left up. The whole world seemed to be spinning and there was a dull ringing sound in her ears that wouldn't go away. Her mouth felt fuzzy, like Zwei had been sleeping in it, and her body, gods but her muscles ached.

"Ugh, I feel like shit."

"Look like it, too," a cocky voice replied. "And trust me, you'll probably feel even worse once you hear what you got up to~"

"Roman, do you have to sound so pleased about that?" another voice asked, Ozpin's if she heard it right. "Miss Xiao-Long – sorry, Captain Xiao-Long – has been through enough. She doesn't need your particular brand of smarm."

"But it comes in so many flavours!"

"The _patient_ doesn't need either of you," a third voice snapped, feminine and irate, probably at having her infirmary turned into some kind of amphitheatre. Tsune stood her ground with arms crossed. "My procedures are not spectator sports. I can't perform under this kind of pressure."

"The pressure of being arrested for malpractice, you mean? Or should we call it whimsical torture?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

Yang had a feeling Tsune did, her reputation being famous – or was that infamous – with the students of Beacon Academy. She could still remember faking sickness once to get out of Port's class. Once. You didn't make that mistake twice.

"Can you all stop shouting?" Yang said, still struggling to see properly. The first beam of light into her eye was like a supernova and she groaned. "What happened? I… I feel like I picked a fight with the sun."

"Nothing of the sort," Roman said, sitting down nearby. "Just me, your old team, that other team, the floor and everything else you came across. You lost, by the way. If that wasn't abundantly obvious."

"W-What?"

"Oh, and you shot the white-haired one."

"WHAT!?"

"Missed, though. We really have to work on that aim of yours."

Yang was already halfway up when a pair of hands settled on her shoulders and pushed her back down. She fought briefly against them, but the person simply pushed harder, taking the choice out of her hands.

"Thank you, Roman," Ozpin said, revealing that it was he above her. "Yang, please lay down. You're not in a position to be moving about. You were infected with the Fang Virus," he explained. "It lay dormant in your blood for some time, but your emotions triggered it last night, causing you to fly out of control."

She wasn't sure what to say or do, wanting both to gasp and to scream. Thankfully, Ozpin beat her to it, placing a hand against her mouth and quickly adding, "No one was hurt. Well, other than you."

Yang's shoulders hit the pillow as she collapsed. "Does the Council know?"

"No. I saw fit not to inform them. What happens on Beacon grounds is a matter for huntsmen and huntresses. The only ones to witness your display were Teams JNPR and RWBY, along with Roman Torchwick. I asked Glynda to speak with each and impress on them the importance of secrecy. No one will find out."

"Thank you…" Yang swallowed and cracked an eye open at last, revealing the expected white ceiling of Beacon's infirmary. Torchwick was sat nearby, while Ozpin stood on her left and Tsune was at a bench, reading through something. "How was I infected?" Yang asked.

"It's incredible, really," Tsune said, flipping back around. She seemed unusually chipper for how bad the situation was, her tail wagging furiously. "According to information from Miss Schnee, the virus was transmitted by the bite she gave you before, though whether that was the means of transmission or just an open wound for the virus in the air to infect is unknown."

Yang lifted her hand, though the bite couldn't be seen past the bandage now wrapped around it.

"Just like a zombie movie," Roman teased.

"Don't let Mercury hear that," Yang sighed. "He'll be insufferable. How did it take this long to affect me, though?" she asked Tsune. "Fang has always been instant before. This was a couple of days ago and I was walking around without any problems." A few itches and burning sensations, sure, but no violent rage or murder-tantrums.

"Well, my analysis of your blood so far suggests the Fang Virus infected you in a miniscule quantity," the doctor explained. "Most viruses don't induce specific behaviour, but there are some parasites that can such as toxoplasma gondii – and encephalitis can cause inflammations of the frontal lobe which, while not actually mind control, can cause shifts in emotional behaviour and halluci-"

"Layman's terms, please," Ozpin said.

"There are some things that can cause hallucinations, increased levels of aggression or bouts of rage," Tsune said, recovering quickly. "I can't really explain it better without going into more detail, and you won't understand it without a background in medicine. Basically, these things affect the brain – almost like recreational drugs, but with a more focused result, in this case, both rage, and a cessation of higher brain function. This prevents the patient from being able to reason, feel empathy or consider the consequences of their actions. Although it's a ridiculous simplification, and not at all accurate, you _might_ consider it akin to an animal driven mad by rabies."

The look on the doctor's face said the comparison wasn't close at all, and that it pained her professional pride to give it, but Yang could at least understand what she meant. One thing did worry her, however.

"Brain parasites…?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry. Research suggests up to a third of people have parasites in the brain, and even though they dig into and feed on brain tissue, the effects on people are hardly noticed."

Oh… goodie…

That made her feel better…

"Nightmare juice aside, how does that help us, doc?" Roman asked.

"It allows medical practitioners to narrow down their research in search of a cure, and it explains why it took so long for the Virus to affect the Captain here. Simply put, there wasn't enough infecting her to do much more than make her more irritable. However, as time went on she began to exhibit more and more symptoms, until a stimulus pushed her over the edge."

Her team. Yang sighed.

"What I'm more intrigued about is how it ceased," Tsune continued. "Every patient previously had to be knocked out before the drug would leave their system, but you said here that she passed out on her own, specifically after she activated her Semblance."

"I did?"

"You did," Roman confirmed. "Her hair lit up and she went all red-eyes blonde dragon, but then dropped like a puppet with her strings cut."

Yang glared at her underling, not quite liking the metaphor.

"Interesting, yes, that makes sense – potentially." Tsune ignored them and moved back to her desk, looking through a machine at what Yang could only assume was a sample of her blood. "I'll have to run some tests, but it all makes sense. Logically, that is. It works for most other common infections and Fang hasn't lingered in the system thus far."

Ozpin coughed into one hand. "Would you care to share, doctor?"

"Oh, right, my apologies. Well, if my theory is correct, it seems that the Fang Virus might have a rather simple counter – heat."

"Heat? You mean like my Semblance?"

"Your Semblance, fire, or even a simple fever," Tsune explained. "You see, a fever one suffers when ill is a symptom of infection, but is actually a defence mechanism by the body. It's designed to expose the pathogen to heat, which often kills cells. It's the same as how we cook meat at certain temperatures to kill bacteria. It appears to me that you raised your body temperature with your Semblance, effectively putting yourself through an artificial fever in a fraction of the time, and roasted the Fang Virus within your own body. The sudden _crash_ of having all of that removed from you, right when it was affecting your mind, would have caused you to pass out almost immediately."

"Huh, that makes sense," Roman said. "Not sure how much it helps us, though. No one but the boss has a Semblance like that, and it's normal folk who are getting infected. Isn't it dangerous for someone's temperature to rise, too?"

"Normally yes, but it would also be dangerous for someone like Miss Rose to run at intense speeds. A normal person would liquefy their insides. We've long believed Semblances cause minor changes in the physiology of those with them, so Yang here will have a unique body capable of withstanding higher temperatures, at least internally."

While that was a nice thing to know and boast of – and she had always wondered why her hair setting fire didn't, you know, set fire to her hair – it still didn't help them help other people. "Will this let you come up with a cure?" she asked.

"It will be a first step, yes. More than that, I believe it could be of use to _you_ ," the doctor said. "I recall that in the bank attack, Fang was released as a gas. Had you a flamethrower to hand, or some means of starting a fire, you could have neutralised it all."

And they could in the future! Yang's eyes lit up when she realised what the woman meant. This was a counter-measure to any White Fang attacks, or at least those that used Fang. It was information that could be passed on to the council and other police departments, and it wouldn't be too hard for each squad to be given something to help them with it.

"Wouldn't it explode if it's flammable, though?" Roman asked.

"It's not flammable; it's susceptible. You'd burn it out of the air, but the fire wouldn't spread and the gas would remain – just without it being capable of any harm."

"The White Fang knew that," Yang realised. "It's why the used a fire-dust bomb to kill Grey. It was the only way to remove the evidence."

"Indeed," Ozpin said. "I will see this information passed on to the Council – and I will be sure to mention you involvement," he added when Yang made to speak. "Your arrival and stay here will not have been missed. I will tell them you came here with your discovery, and that we spent the night discussing and verifying it."

Yang nodded. "Thanks, sir."

"No. Thank you, Yang. This is a brilliant discovery. I'm glad I could rely on you to find it." The headmaster nodded once before he left. Funny how much she'd hated him at first for taking her out of Beacon.

"Well, all's well that ends well," Roman quipped. "Apart from you getting your ass kicked. How you feeling?"

"Like I was strangled," she said, rubbing her throat.

Roman laughed nervously. "Yeah? Must be the infection."

"I guess. I missed a whole night, didn't I?" Yang sighed. "I meant to spruce up my apartment last night. I bought all sorts of cleaning supplies, too. Ugh." She gripped her head again. "I can barely even remember what happened. I was talking to Team JNPR and then… I remember my team. I remember Blake saying something. The rest is hazy."

"Probably for the best, boss. That's when the Fang kicked in."

"What did I do?"

"Well, what you _didn't_ do was kill someone," Roman said, dodging the question. "Anything else doesn't really matter since you weren't in control of yourself."

"And I nearly shot Weiss?"

"Yep. I saved her."

"Shit… she must hate me…"

"Don't be a twat," Roman said, slapping a hand against her head. It hurt, not that she'd give him the pleasure of knowing. "I doubt the moron hates you any more you do her for what happened in the bank. Besides, she ran after you to save you, and she's been waiting outside for-" He cut off with a snap.

"She's outside?"

"Me and my big mouth. Look, they're _all_ outside," he whispered. "I made excuses that you were still unconscious, but I couldn't get rid of 'em. Not sure you're in the right mood to deal with them, to be honest."

"I'm not." Yang grimaced. Between her headache, nausea and lingering guilt, the anger she felt for her team was rolling around in her stomach like it didn't know what to do. She really wasn't ready for this. "But unless you have a way to smuggle me out in your coat, I'm going to have to deal with it, aren't I?"

"Dunno. We could wait until lessons. They have to leave eventually, right?"

It was a nice thought, but what kind of police captain hid in an infirmary because they were scared of a bunch of schoolgirls? If the twins, Mercury or Neo found out, she'd never live it down.

"Open the door," she said. "Just… stay close, okay? If I start to lose it…"

"I'll strangle you again," he promised.

"What? No, I meant step in." Yang's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean _again_!?"

Roman balked, but quickly yanked the door open before she could question him any further. Red, white and black fell in. Knowing them, they'd been listening at the door to everything that was said. A month or so back, she'd have been among them, ear pressed to the door. Now, it felt immature and silly. If they weren't supposed to hear what was being said, it was probably for a good reason. Like, you know, the fact they were students in school and that it was none of their business.

Or was it that she was just being increasingly critical to try and catch them out? It was honestly hard to tell. She'd have rolled her eyes if it were the twins, yet make it her old team and her patience just snapped instantly.

Yeah, that was probably on her shoulders.

"Y-Yang!" Ruby stammered, on her hands and knees with her wide eyes fixed on her sister's. She looked understandably nervous; Yang wasn't sure she liked the fact. "I, we, well, I… this isn't what it looks like, I promise!"

"Looks like you were listening in on us," she drawled.

"We were, but not for what you think. We weren't trying to find out anything about your work or the White Fang or anything. I promise!"

"Then what _were_ you trying to find out?"

Ruby's hands balled into fists. "If you were okay!" she yelled, voice suddenly climbing in volume as she glared back for once. "I… I had no idea if you were okay and no one would tell us anything. I was afraid!"

"Afraid…?"

"YES! Why wouldn't I be? You're my sister! I thought…" Ruby's eyes began to tear. "I thought…" Ruby didn't cry, but she surged up and over, closing the distance between them in a few seconds. She took Yang's hand, her only hand, and hung onto it, pressing her face into her sister's shoulder. "I thought you were going to die," she whispered. "You went nuts in the middle of Beacon and ran into the Emerald Forest. I thought you were going to collapse and be killed by the Grimm."

Yang winced. It was something that definitely could have happened. That was often the case when they had to deal with people hit by Fang; that the real danger wasn't in what they could do to you, but what they could do to themselves.

"I'm still angry at you," Yang whispered back.

"I-I know. Just… let me have this for now." Ruby pushed her face harder against Yang's hand, and she felt the tears on her skin. "Please."

Yang sagged back. Fuck. Stuff like this had never been her strong point, especially not when Ruby was so obviously distraught. Angry or not, she couldn't tear her hand away and leave Ruby like that. Instead, she looked away, neither approving or disapproving and just letting Ruby have what she felt she needed.

Weiss approached quickly, though there was no hand left to take. Yang kept her severed one beneath the blankets and Weiss noticed, damn her. She wisely chose not to mention it. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Yang. I was worried."

"I shot you…"

"And I bit you," Weiss countered. "And I tried to kill you from what I understand. Neither of us exactly had a say in that, so don't worry about it. I'm honestly more upset about the time you stole my expensive shampoo."

Yang laughed. "That stuff was great."

"You used the whole bottle!"

"I have a lot of hair to work through."

Weiss and Yang shared a long look, before both smiled. It was good to know nothing had come between them and Yang felt her muscles relax just a little. Roman was right, though maybe she'd just been silly for doubting Weiss in the first place.

That, of course, left the final one in the room, who shuffled up behind Weiss, eyes not quite meeting Yang's. Blake tried to smile but it came out weak and awkward. There was a red mark on the side of her face where it looked like someone had punched her.

Yang had a disturbing idea who might have been responsible for that.

"Hey," Blake whispered.

"Hey," Yang returned in an even voice.

The tick-tock of the infirmary's clock echoed around them. There was a drip in the sink, hinting that Tsune hadn't turned off the tap entirely.

Weiss coughed meaningfully.

Blake jumped. "I-It's good to see you in one piece."

"Hm."

"Are you recovering well?" she asked.

"I am."

"No Fang Virus in your system?"

"Not anymore."

Blake winced. "That's… good."

"Yeah." Yang looked away. "It is."

Outside the infirmary's window, a bird began to sing.

"This is ridiculous!" In the end, it was Weiss whose patience snapped first. She rounded on her teammate. "Blake, I believe you had something you wanted to say to Yang."

Blake nodded. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Something _else_ ," Weiss hissed, not at all as quietly as she probably intended.

"I'm sorry."

For the first time, Yang glanced back. "For what?"

Blake flinched. "Huh?"

"What are you sorry for?" Yang prompted.

"For hurting you."

Yang looked away. "Not good enough."

"What!?"

"Sorry for hurting me isn't good enough," she repeated through gritted teeth. "It's saying `I'm sorry you didn't like my decision` or `I'm sorry that you're upset, but not sorry about what I did`. You're only upset about the fact I'm angry, not about what you did."

"But we didn't do anything wrong. You lost an arm. Adam-"

"Don't blame _him_ for what happened here, Blake. I thought you said you'd stop running away."

"I'm not running away," Blake snapped. "You're the one who refuses to accept what happened to you. You lost an arm; Adam cut it off. That's going to have an effect on you and you _can't_ just slot back into life like it doesn't matter! You need help!"

"And I received none!" Yang howled, cutting her off. "You're damn right I needed help, and everyone expected it would be my _own fucking team_ who could give it to me. The only reason Ozpin didn't come and tell me himself was because he thought you lot would. Hell, even my own father thought you'd told me!"

"What do you want from me?" Blake demanded,

"An apology!"

"I've given you one!"

"Not a real one!"

"I don't know what else I can do." Blake shook in anger and turned her back. "Forget it, this isn't working. You can come and see me when you're calm enough to talk about this like an adult and not a child."

Yang snorted. "That's ironic coming from you."

Blake hesitated for a moment, no doubt wanting to say more. Instead, she huffed and marched out of the infirmary, stiff-backed and trembling. The door slammed shut behind her. With it, Yang slumped in her bed.

Shit. That hadn't gone as she'd planned it.

"That idiot," Weiss sighed, one hand on her face. "You're both idiots, you know that, right? If you talked this out, you could get this sorted in an hour, but you're leading her through some mental hurdles she isn't ready for."

"And I was?" Yang asked with a raised brow.

"No. But two wrongs don't make a right. She's taken this personally – both your injury and everything that's happened to you. She sees it all as being her fault because of the person who did it to you."

Adam Taurus. Yang grimaced. "Then she's an idiot. I'm the one that chose to fight him, not her."

"Maybe, but you know how much she puts on herself. I'm not saying she's right," Weiss quickly said, holding her hands up. "Only that it's not easy for her to accept she might be wrong. She likely feels that if she does, she has to accept that this is all her fault."

"Teenagers," Roman scoffed dismissively, earning a glare from Weiss.

Despite being one herself, Yang couldn't help but agree. She tried to move her arm to brush some hair back, but a weight held it down and she recalled Ruby's presence. The girl had been incredibly quiet throughout the exchange, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. Yang sighed. "Ruby, I need my arm back."

Ruby held on tighter and mumbled something.

"What?" Yang asked.

"I said I'm sorry," she mumbled, louder this time. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Yang sighed. "Ruby-"

"I was so scared when you were hurt and I didn't know what would happen, and then I was so relieved when the doctors said you would live, except that you lost your arm and we had no idea what was going to happen to you. Ozpin told us his decision and wanted to tell you, but we said we should be the ones to do it and that you should be at home so you were more comfortable." Ruby babbled, the words spilling out like verbal diarrhoea.

"A-And I was relieved you were okay, but scared of what you might say," she went on. "I thought you were happier not knowing, so when the time came, I didn't say anything. I was the team leader, though. And your sister. I was supposed to be the one to say something. I convinced myself I was doing it to help you – so that you wouldn't feel bad or be unhappy, but… but the truth is that I was doing it for myself. I was holding back on telling you because _I_ was happier with you not knowing. Because I was happier with you smiling and laughing, and I didn't want to be the one responsible for stopping that."

"Ruby…"

"So I'm sorry," she said, looking up. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her expression was determined. "I'm not sorry for what was decided or that you were hurt by it, but I'm sorry that I was too much of a coward to tell you. I'm sorry that I was selfish and kept thinking about myself when you needed me most. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help you, and that I instead sat back and watched you find out from Ozpin directly. I'm sorry that I failed as both a team leader and a sister. And… and I'm sorry you paid the price for it." Ruby's control broke and a sob came forth. "I messed up so much!"

"You did," Yang said, "and I was hurt by it a lot." But before Ruby could break away with a cry, she wrapped her stump around the girl's shoulders. "But I forgive you, Ruby," she whispered into her sister's hair.

Ruby whimpered.

"I forgive you."

"Yaaang!" Ruby wailed, slumping against her in relief.

"I'm sorry, too," Weiss said, stepping forward. "I know I've already said it, but all of what Ruby said and more. Even if she was the team leader, it was always me that was supposed to help her be the best she could, and I failed in that regard. I let her make that mistake because it was easier for me than facing your pain. Rather than be the teammate and friend I was supposed to be, I stood back and made you face the pain alone. I'm sorry."

Yang shifted her weight a little, allowing Weiss in to the hug.

"I think I'm going to vomit."

"Choke on it, Roman."

"I'm too busy choking over this nauseating scene."

Weiss and Ruby extricated themselves from the huddle with red cheeks, both having forgotten they had an audience and who exactly it was. Definitely intentional on Roman's part, since he'd waited for the perfect moment to humiliate them and was currently cackling like a hyena.

"Blake is sorry, too," Weiss whispered. "She just needs time to come to terms with it."

"And when she does, I'll be here," Yang said. "Or well, not _here_ , but around. We kind of have a terrorist organisation to stop."

"We can help," Ruby offered. She cried out weakly as Yang flicked her forehead.

"You're in school, Rubes. Focus on that for a change. Leave the chasing of criminals to the professionals."

"Alright." She rubbed her forehead with a pout. "But… we're okay now, right?"

Yang smiled.

"Yes, Ruby. We're okay now."

"Seriously, any more and I'll throw chunks."

/-/

Yang staggered up the rickety staircase to her apartment, finally freed from Beacon, Roman and all the emotions being thrown around. With the after-effects of Fang in her system, or rather the after-effects of the beat down she'd received, her body still ached with every step. She wanted nothing more than to stagger into her room and collapse on her uncomfortable bed.

Which was why she responded to the perfectly immaculate interior of her apartment with a tired groan instead. The two men sat on her cough glaring at one another paused long enough to shoot her innocent smiles.

"Not like this," Yang whined. "I'm tired."

"Long day?" Qrow asked.

"I should say so, given what she's achieved," Vincent said. He held up a newspaper, on which the headline read _Cure for Fang discovered?_

"I guess the Council can move fast when they want to," she said, slumping down into a seat. "What the hell are you two doing in my apartment?"

"Yeah," Qrow said, leering at the other man.

"I said _both_. And why is my apartment clean?"

"I came by to share some information with you, but found you weren't here," Vincent said. "Since I had no idea how long you would be, I decided to make myself useful. You left your cleaning supplies out."

"And I arrived to find him," Qrow growled. "You think I was just going to ignore a strange man cleaning my niece's place like some kind of personal maid?"

"Well, you could have helped," Vincent grumbled.

"And take my eyes off you?"

"Well, you could have taken your ass off the sofa."

"It gave me a good view."

"Lazy huntsman."

"Stalking creep!"

Yang groaned into her hand, already wishing she could shoot them both and be done with it. Seriously, who ever said getting your own place was a good idea? She needed to find and curb stomp them. Thank God her dad wasn't here to make things ten times worse. "I really need a beer…"

"Oh, and he drank all your beer."

Qrow laughed nervously.

Yang glared at him.

"Sheesh, Firecracker. You're in a mood. I thought you'd be happy we've cleaned up." That he used the plural didn't go missed by Vincent, who scoffed. "Besides, you managed to get another one up on the White Fang, huh? That's a good thing."

"Yeah, and I'm exhausted from that and now dealing with a pair of men-children in my apartment. Vincent, what are you here? What do you have for me?"

"Details on a certain redheaded faunus you know of." Vincent leaned over and pushed a small storage device onto the table. Qrow reached for it but Yang beat him to it, slapping his hand away and taking it for herself.

"Taurus?"

"Indeed, and seen in Vale."

"Adam Taurus, you mean the terrorist who took Yang's arm?" Qrow's eyes narrowed. "That's too dangerous, Firecracker. You're not ready to face someone like him."

"I won't be. I'll be driving an APC full of hardened criminals into his face."

"Yang!"

"What? It's my job. I don't have a choice here." And even if she did, she wasn't sure what she would decide. She stared at the memory drive hungrily, yet also with a sudden fear that started somewhere deep inside her stomach and worked its way higher.

She wanted this, and yet she desperately didn't. Adam terrified her.

"We've not been able to discover much else, but we have what information we could find there, and we will be securing a little more in a day or two. I'll be sure to keep you informed."

"Who are you, anyway?" Qrow demanded. "You don't just stumble on information on one of Vale's most wanted terrorists. Who the hell do you work for?"

"I work for people," Vincent said evasively. "I'm a friend."

"Tch. Like I buy that."

"Oh, I'm not _your_ friend, obviously. You're a dick."

"Still mad I hogtied you on Yang's bed?"

"Yes, actually. Yes, I am."

"Children!" Yang shouted, silencing them. "Qrow, stop antagonising him and act your age – for once. Vincent, thanks for what you've been able to find. If I gave you another name, would you be able to look into it for me?"

Though the suited man spared a moment to gloat at a sulking Qrow, he did nod. "Of course. Well, so long as it's relevant to what we're working on."

"It is. I need you to look into one of the terrorists who orchestrated the attack on Beacon; one Emerald Sustrai. I think she might be behind a few problems of ours, including how the White Fang got the recipe for that drug from Blue Sky in the first place. She's also been pretending to be me to get past security at key locations."

Vincent nodded. "I'll get on it immediately."

"Anything I can do to help?" Qrow asked.

"Re-stock my fridge?"

"I'm serious, Yang."

"Sheesh, fine. Stay in Vale for a bit and keep your scroll to hand. If anything goes down, I'll give you a buzz. I wouldn't say no to a little extra firepower."

"Speaking of firepower," Vincent interrupted. "A package arrived for you while you were absent. I took the liberty of signing for it on your behalf, though the woman who delivered it was less than keen on that. Or the state of your apartment," he added. "She certainly turned her nose up at it."

"A package, for me?" Nothing came to mind and Yang's eyes narrowed. "Who was it? Was she safe?"

"It is safe. Unless you believe Winter Schnee, of all people, to be working with the White Fang."

Qrow's head perked up, "She was here?"

"Before he arrived," Vincent said, nodding to Qrow. "Either way, I inspected the gift and, well, it certainly fits your definition of firepower, though whether you'll appreciate it…" He trailed off and stood, moving to her bedroom and coming back a moment later with what appeared to be a rather heavy box. Yang stared at it nervously as it landed on the table, immediately cracking one worn-through leg and causing it to slump to the left.

There was a letter attached to it, which she quickly opened and read through it.

 _Captain Xiao-Long,_

 _I hope this missive finds you well. As a sign of gratitude for the work you have done, both for Vale and for Atlas, in identifying and halting the White Fang's grisly attacks, I saw fit to show my own appreciation. Consider this also thanks for your discretion in the matter involving Miss Schnee, which helped to prevent a diplomatic incident between Vale and Atlas._

 _Though I am aware the gift may not be well-received, I feel I must remind you of what I said to you before. Some problems are best faced head on and addressed before they can become too large and hold you back. True strength is found not in the human form, but in the spirit._

 _I believe your actions exemplify that, Captain._

 _Kind Regards,_

 _James Ironwood_

 _General of Atlas Military, Headmaster of Atlas Academy_

Yang swallowed and laid the official-sounding letter down on the table. She didn't stop Qrow from snatching it a second later, but instead took a deep breath and reached towards the parcel. With the packaging removed, she could see an official-looking metallic box with numerous symbols on the side, including the sigil of the Atlas military.

When the lid opened, she peered inside, and recoiled at what she saw. Ironwood was right; she didn't like it. The contents burned their way into her mind, and down to the stump of her arm, which she'd hidden against her side.

"It _is_ firepower," Vincent pointed out.

Yang couldn't agree more.

/-/

"Everything is proceeding to plan. There have been some minor hiccups, but nothing I can't deal with – nothing _we_ can't deal with. The attacks have headlined for the last few weeks. Adam is thrilled. The White Fang become more loyal day by day and the city's resources are stretched to the limit. It's working. It's all working. We're so close."

The figure paused to take a deep breath, and to wipe some sweat from her brow. She stared down at her hand. It was damp. She swiped it away, hiding such on her clothing so as not to embarrass herself. "I'm not worried," she said defensively. "It's just… anxious, I suppose. Nothing will go wrong, I just…" She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry; I'm making a fool of myself. I know, I know. You taught me better."

The hum of an air-conditioning unit was the only response.

Emerald laughed, however, and stepped closer to rest her hand on the cheek of another. "I won't let you down again, I promise. Not like the last time. I'm still sorry, ma'am. It won't happen again." She hesitated. "I know you're angry. The silent treatment it… I… I'll make it up to you."

She pressed her head against the other.

"I'll make them pay, Cinder. I'll make you proud."

A deep breath.

"Stay here, ma'am. I'll handle things for now. You need to recover your strength and focus on recovering. I've sent a message to Watts on your behalf. No response still, I don't know why, but I'm sure he'll come back with one soon. He'll know some treatment to help you recover faster. Until then, I'll continue with the plan." Emerald smiled. "I'll destroy Vale for you. I'll make everything work. I'll make it all better."

"Just… stay there, for now," she whispered, finally stepping back, taking her hand from her master's cheek. "Stay there and rest." Emerald turned away, toward the door. Her eyes hardened. "I'll handle everything."

Cinder did not respond. Her desiccated husk simply stared with empty eye-sockets at the world around her.

* * *

 **Yep, it's pretty much what everyone expected.**

 **No Cinder makes Emerald go cray-cray. Just don't ask how much she takes care of the thing. "Do you want a bath, Cinder? Should I took you in, Cinder? Would you like me to brush your hair, Cinder?"**

 **Shudders.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Just as an answer to a question I received once or twice – the Fang Virus is really just the name everyone is using for it. It's not based in medical terms, more as a colloquialism for the general populace. Whether it would realistically count as a virus, bacteria or something else is not in the purview of this story.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 20**

* * *

"It's an arm."

"Yep," Miltia nodded, agreeing with her sister.

"It definitely is an arm," Mercury said, taking it out and waving it around. It hit the faunus next to him in the face and knocked him over.

"Ow! Don't swing that around so much."

Yang's brow twitched. She stormed forward and snatched the robotic arm from Mercury, shoved it back in the box and closed the lid. "Yes, thank you – I am in possession of eyes, so I did figure out it was an arm. Also, what the hell is _he_ doing out of his cell?"

Mark quailed. "It's boring down there."

She snapped her hand to the side. "Go."

"You're not my mom."

"Go back to your cell!" Yang roared. Mark `eeped` and fled. Prisoner dealt with, Yang slumped onto one of the couches, not even caring when she nearly squashed Neo. Junior tossed her a bottle of beer that she caught with one hand. It was ice-cold. She took a long swig and let out a happy sigh.

"So, you got yourself a robo-arm," Mercury chirped. "Looking to join the club, huh? Those are pretty expensive. Where did you get it from?"

"Where did you get yours from?" Yang countered, nodding to his legs.

"We commissioned them off some hot-shot engineer. They cost a fortune."

"You actually paid?" Melanie asked, surprised.

"Ha, no. Killed him afterwards."

Yang groaned. "Why am I not surprised?"

"No, no, you should have seen it. He said `Why don't you give them a test` and I was all `Huh, maybe I do need to make sure they work`. The look on his face when I knocked his off was perfect. It was at least an eight out of ten."

"You're a freak," Miltia pointed out.

"Freaking awesome?"

"No, just the first one."

Yang dipped a little deeper into the couch – and the bottle – and wished she could tune out their conversation entirely. She'd been up late enough dealing with Qrow and Vincent, both of which wanted to know what her next course of action was. When she'd said she didn't know and would figure it out in the morning they'd both assumed she was blowing them off.

Sue her; it had been a long day and she'd just wanted to sleep, besides, she really did intend to figure it out today. It was just that _some people_ were constantly distracting her. Speaking of, she hadn't seen Roman anywhere. She posed the question to Junior, possibly the only member of the VSPR present who wasn't a pain in the ass.

"Lisa called in to say she needed someone to take her to the VPD to check records or something. Roman lost the coin flip."

"Ah." Made sense, she supposed. Well, apart from the fact her team would play games to _not_ have to do any work, but that was just them. "I wanted her to look over this information from Vincent, too."

Junior looked over her shoulder. "Anything good?"

"Information on Adam Taurus, apparently." Yang saw Mercury perk up at the name. "You and Cinder worked with him for a while. What was he like?"

"Broody."

Yang rolled her eyes. "I'll need more than that."

"No, you don't understand," Mercury said, shuffling closer. "When I say broody I don't mean `oh no, you don't understand my teenage angst` broody. I mean _broody_. He's so edgy you lose sight of him if he turns sideways. He has two emotions, angst and uberangst. I'm sure he has some deep and dark past and I'm just as sure he's written poetry about it at some point. The guy is nuts." Mercury nodded suddenly, as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh, and he's hot for your girlfriend."

"My what?"

"That black-haired chick on your team. The one with the ass."

Yang was about to point out all of Team RWBY had anatomically correct bodies, and thus, an ass, before Mercury made a round motion with both hands and whistled. She resisted the urge to knock his block off. Barely.

"He was _obsessed_ with her, and I do mean obsessed. The whole attack on Beacon? Yeah, that was to send a message and all, but what _really_ got him to agree was the fact she'd be there."

Blake certainly knew how to pick them. Yang sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Losing your arm in a terrorist attack sucked. Losing your arm because a jealous ex-boyfriend had lost his shit somehow sucked a lot more. "He's dangerous, though."

Mercury nodded. "Definitely. He's got a few screws loose, but he is absolutely deadly."

Wonderful, and she was going to go after him again. Yang teased the memory drive between her fingers, wondering what she should do with it. In the end, she stashed it away. Going over it now would just mean doing so again when Lisa got back. As a journalist, she knew how to dig into these kinds of things. Her eyes saw more than Yang's did.

"What about your old partner, Emerald?"

"You think _she's_ behind this?"

"I think it's possible. Do you?"

For the first time, Mercury considered the question seriously, leaning back and humming softly. "I think she _could_ ," he said. "But not on her own. Emerald was nothing more than a tool for Cinder, and mostly because of her Semblance. That said she _did_ take after Cinder a lot more than I did."

Yang was intrigued. "How so?"

"I followed her because I had to and because I fancied it," Mercury said, as unconcerned with morality as ever. "I couldn't exactly say no when she caught me exhausted after killing my old man, and afterwards, well, it's not like I had anywhere else to go. I was never what you'd call loyal, but Emerald was different. She _idolised_ Cinder."

"She sounds like a basket case," Miltia snorted. Neo echoed the sentiment by circling a finger near one ear.

"Like you lot are any better," Mercury said, almost offended for his old partner. "Em was messed up, sure, but it was more that she loved Cinder. I don't know if that was as a boss, person, mother or potential lover, but she would have been all of those if she thought it would make Cinder happy or proud of her. As much as I don't think she'd be capable of all of this, I can't say she wouldn't give it her best shot. She definitely has a motive, just not the skill or cunning Cinder had."

And ultimately, that might be enough. Even if Emerald didn't have the means, others did, be it the White Fang for manpower or Blue Sky for the details on how to synthesise the Fang Virus. Emerald was still a suspect.

"Keep an ear out for any news on her," she told her crew. "She's still out there and I want to question her if possible."

They nodded.

Melanie tapped a single foot against the box on the table. "So, are you going to wear this? It's a gift from the General of Atlas. That's pretty important."

"That's for me to decide." Yang picked up the box and held it between her good arm and her side, moving off deeper into the building, pushing doors open with her shoulder. In truth, she had no idea if she was going to wear it or not. It was a handsome gift and obviously well-made, but replacing her arm with a cybernetic one…

She didn't feel comfortable with that.

 _But what's the issue? It's not like my old one is going to grow back if I wait long enough. I might as well move on._ The logic was there and she couldn't argue with it, but that didn't stop her hiding the box in the lower cabinet of her office, out of sight, out of mind.

She couldn't deal with this right now.

/-/

The gun cracked once, twice.

Yang lowered her arm and checked the target further down the shooting range. Her eyesight was good enough to see her shots had hit centre-mass, but were off-target. She tutted and brought the handgun up again, taking careful aim and squeezing the trigger.

Everyone got arms training in Signal; it was pretty common among all the prep schools. Those who chose gun-based weapons took it further, Ruby being a prime example, but there were just as many who either didn't bother or didn't require quite the same accuracy. Ember Celica was one such example, being so short range a weapon that this kind of practise had never been necessary.

But she knew how to shoot.

At least… she had when she still had her right hand.

Yang growled as the recoil shook her aim off again. The fifth shot pinged off the back wall loudly, the echo of her failure loud enough that it was impossible to miss. The handgun clattered down onto the plate and she exchanged the magazine awkwardly, needing to lay it down to do so or balance the magazine so that she could bring the grip down on top of it. Neither task was simple and she felt her frustration mount. When the magazine slipped and fell to the floor, she slammed the gun down angrily.

"Ho? What did that gun ever do to you?"

Yang's eyes clenched shut. "Roman, I am really not in the mood right now."

Any normal man, woman or even Grimm would have taken the hint and pissed off, but Roman either didn't notice or didn't care. That or he enjoyed baiting her. Any of those were possible. His shoes clicked as he stepped up to the firing range next to her and the scent of his tobacco wafted over her. It wasn't a bad smell – not like typical cigarettes were. Whatever he smoked wasn't cheap.

"Having a little trouble, boss?" He hooked the toes of his shoe under the magazine and kicked it up. Yang caught it easily. "I thought you were more of a get in their face and pound it to dust type. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Figured I might as well extend my skillset a little." Yang pinned the handgun upside down against her elbow and knee, and then used her hand to slip the magazine in. "I've lost my arm," she growled, taking aim. "I might as well learn to live with it."

The gunfire resumed once more.

Roman waited for it to finish before he spoke again. He inspected the target as it came closer. "Hm, not bad."

"I missed half my shots."

"Does that even matter? If you shoot a guy ten times, five will be enough."

"I guess…"

"Besides, it's not like you're missing because you're an idiot. My accuracy would be just as bad left-handed." He brought out Melodic Cudgel for emphasis and tossed it to his off-hand. Six shots rained down his range. Four hit. "Eh, a little better… but not by much."

Yang sighed and reloaded her gun. She took careful aim and fired again.

In truth, practise was only a small part of the reason she was here, catharsis and a chance to be alone making up the remainder. The stress from the days before had started to take its toll, though even that felt like an excuse. What really pissed her off was two things; the meeting with her team, Blake in particular, and Ironwood's gift.

The fact it was given out of genuine kindness and concern only made it worse, since if it had been an insult she could have at least felt _right_ to be so annoyed by it. It wasn't, though, and that just left her feeling guilty.

It wasn't like she could even say he didn't know what she felt like. Last she'd checked, almost half the guy's body was cybernetics.

The gun clicked empty. Yang hadn't realised how much she'd shot.

"And that would be no hits," Roman drawled. "Impressive."

Yang growled and slammed the gun down. "Is Lisa back yet?"

"She had a lot of records to dig through. I left her at the VPD. Sorry."

"It's fine." Whatever Lisa had her eye on was worth doing, especially if she had a lead on whoever was responsible for twisting Blue Sky's research into what the Fang Virus was now. "How about that order I told you to place. Did that come through?"

"Yep. We're now in proud possession of a number of incendiary grenades along with two flamethrowers."

The latest additions to their arsenal were designed to combat the Fang Virus if it was used as gas again, though she figured that by now most of the police departments were aware of it from Ozpin. "You know, I can't believe I'm wilfully providing you all with the means to burn down a building."

"Yeah, Neo and Mercury especially."

Yang paused.

Roman did, too.

"You didn't actually leave them with those two."

"No." Roman's eyes flicked to the side. "Uh, if you'll excuse me, I just need to go and do something elsewhere. Like, right now."

"Roman…"

"I left the oven on."

"We don't have an oven here."

"No, but the results will be the same if I don't get there in time. Aka, fire everywhere."

The lights above them flickered as Roman reached the door, casting the room into darkness for a moment, before a sound whirred and they came back on, albeit somewhat dimmer than they had been before. The two of them stared at one another.

"Was that a power cut?" Roman asked.

"Maybe. Looks like the back-up generator came on."

Roman shrugged and tried the door again, only to find that it wouldn't move. He tried pushing instead, but it got the same result. "Huh, what the hell?" He pressed a foot against the wall and growled as he pulled on it.

The door didn't open.

"It's got an electronic lock powered by the mains," Yang realised, groaning. "I guess it's to stop people getting in here and grabbing loads of guns if the power goes off. Why would-" Her eye twitched. If this was a matchmaking attempt by those stupid twins, she'd _kill_ them.

Roman appeared to have had the same idea and leaned against the door. "Very funny, Neo. Now get this thing open before I pass a picture of you to every ice-cream parlour in Vale and tell them you're lactose intolerant." When no response came he banged on the door again. "Neo? Junior? Miltia, Melanie? Dipshit!?"

Yang frowned. "I don't think they did this, Roman."

"Then who-"

Roman's question was cut off by a noise from beyond the door, muffled by the sound-proofed walls and yet only just audible. It was gunfire.

The VSPR HQ was under attack.

/-/

"The fuck is this!?" Miltia roared as she rolled over the couch – not that it provided much cover. Automatic fire tore through it and churned fluff and springs into the air. She shrieked but was dragged away by Junior, behind the minibar he'd had installed.

Junior being Junior, the thing was reinforced with several sheets of metal, and the bullets pinged harmlessly off it.

"We're under attack!" Junior growled.

"Oh, you think?" Mercury leaned over with a handgun of his own and returned fire. "And here I thought it was just raining. Horizontal fucking rain. Rain made of metal and dust." He took a shot to the shoulder for his bitching and yelped, ducking back into cover. There was no blood, his aura having protected him.

"You get a look at them?" Junior asked.

"Police," Mercury gritted back.

"What? Why would the VPD be attacking us?"

"They wouldn't, obviously. I said they _looked_ like police. Odd for every single one of them to be faunus, though." Mercury tapped a button on the wall labelled alarm. Nothing sounded. "Great, the power's been cut."

Miltia couldn't believe her ears. "You're telling me the alarm to the whole building goes off if someone flicks off the power? What kind of sense does that make!?"

"This wasn't a police department originally, remember. It was rushed together on the quick." Junior paused to rummage around under the bar, making an "ahh" sound when he found his weapon. He looked to Mercury. "Cover me."

"Hell no, I just got shot."

"Fair enough." Junior stood and ignored the bullets that came his way, taking aim for a moment before a loud `whoosh` sounded, followed by an epic explosion a few seconds later. Miltia took that as her cue to dart out from cover and take a few shots, along with a glance.

Mercury wasn't wrong on them looking like police, though even she could tell that was bogus without too much thought. They were in typical officer uniforms – the blue and black – but it was street-uniforms and not the kind of gear one would wear to a raid like this. More than that, their squad cars – at least six of them – weren't armoured. If the VPD really wanted to attack the VSPR, they'd do it with Bullheads, armoured APCs and probably a few sniper teams. Hell, they'd probably do it with a bomb launched from a very big distance away. They wouldn't charge in the front door like this.

Just as she thought that, an explosion ripped through the left wall, adjoined to the car park. More figures streamed in and opened fire, though she'd caught a glimpse of yet more cars outside, filling their car park to the brim. It looked like the White Fang were sick and tired of their interference. Miltia brought two down before she ducked into the main corridor and found her sister.

"You okay?"

Melanie nodded. She was attaching her boots and checking her blades. "Yeah, just waiting for them to get a little closer. You see Neo?"

"Eh, she's probably killing a few already. You know what she's like."

"True."

The building shook again, though this time it came from the other side. Melanie and Miltia stared down the corridor intently.

"It _would_ be pretty dumb just to attack the front."

"For fuck's sake," Miltia sighed. She poked her head back into the foyer. "Yo, Junior. We got guests at the back, too. Me and Mel are going to handle it. Can you hold these off?"

"On our own!? What!?"

"Kay, thanks." Miltia ducked back. "They say yes."

Melanie had heard them perfectly, of course, but smiled nonetheless. "Good. We'd best be off, then. You think the Captain and Roman are getting involved?"

"Sure. I doubt anything could keep them away."

/-/

"It's reinforced," Roman groaned as their ears rang. His explosive shot had done little more than deafen them both. "Why the hell does it have to be reinforced?"

"What?" Yang yelled, unable to hear anything for the ringing in her ears. "I think it's reinforced."

Roman blinked. "What?"

The ringing slowly began to recede and Yang stalked about the firing range, trying to figure a way out. Calling the others wasn't an option because she could _hear_ the gunfights. There was no way they'd answer. Did she call the police? She _was_ the police!

 _Uncle Qrow!_

Yang tore out her scroll and typed in a quick message, not really trusting herself to call right now. She sent it to him and her finger hovered over her team, who would probably also respond if she asked for help.

She put the scroll away. Uncle Qrow would be enough. It would have been stupid to spend so long telling her team not to get involved, only for her to call them a day later and say she needed their help. It totally wasn't that she just didn't want to see Blake right now. Not that at all.

"I think there's a vent shaft up there," Roman said, pointing toward the ceiling. True to his words there was a metallic pipe in the corner, more for air conditioning than anything. "You might be small enough to fit through it. The fans should be off since we're only on essential power right now."

"Yeah…"

"You're not into it?"

Yang hesitated to answer. She really didn't like the sound of it, but then again it wasn't like they had much of a choice. "Fine. Give me a lift up, and if you cop a feel-"

"I prefer my girls a little more developed, thanks."

"Sure, I can tell from Neo." Yang laughed at his indignant look and chalked a point up for her. Her smile died when she realised just how high up it was, however. Roman would need to push her up over his head and she'd have to crawl into the thing with just one hand. If the attackers heard her, and it seemed unlikely they would miss her if she was loudly bumbling around in that thing, they could fill her with holes faster than she could blink.

Roman cupped his hands down by the ground and Yang stepped into them, one hand on his shoulder as he lifted her, and then on top of his head once he had her up. She knocked his bowler hat off and gripped his hair instead.

"Hey, hey, gentle!"

"I-It's hard to balance like this."

"Use both hands."

"I don't _have_ both hands!"

"Oops, sorry."

"You'll be sorry in a minu- ah, I've got it." Yang snagged the metal grate with one hand and tore it free. Trying to actually wriggle in was harder, though it hardly got any better when Roman placed a hand directly on her rear end and started to push. "Oi, watch it."

"Just get in there."

With his assistance, she managed to scramble in, not that it would save him a kick in the shins later for copping a feel while he was at it. The metallic tunnel was thin and claustrophobic but she dragged herself down it, pushing with her feet and using her hand to guide her. Once she'd crossed the threshold of the solid walls around the shooting range, the sound of combat grew more obvious. The noise they'd heard had probably all been through this shaft.

 _I should be over the corridor by the range at the moment,_ she realised. There were no grates or windows down but she could figure it out to a degree from memory. _If I keep going I'll end up in one of the storage rooms, but those might be locked. I'd best break out here if I can._

That was easier said than done and she'd left her gun behind – for all the use that would be. Yang's punches were enough to shatter the thin metal without any problem, but her position laid flat on her stomach with no room for a proper swing didn't exactly help there. With a growl of pure frustration, she reached down awkwardly under her, fishing around her belt for her goal. With a click, the gauntlet attached onto her wrist.

Ember Celica at point blank range in a confined space; it sounded about as good as she imagined it would feel. Closing her eyes and pushing her aura all around her, Yang pressed her fist against the thin metal wall of the ventilation shaft.

"This is gonna suck."

The blast echoed through her ears, as some of the pellets did off the metal – those that didn't _tear_ through it with laughable ease. Where a handgun might have blasted a hole, this tore a chasm, and the loss of structural integrity from the sudden lack of an entire wall caused the metal beneath her to groan and shake. Her weight proved the deciding factor and some bolts above snapped, sending her swinging down with a panicked shriek.

Downward momentum stopped suddenly as the shaft bounced off the wall. It hit back, making her stomach flip as bright lights flashed and blurred ahead of her. Yang was disgorged out like a pinball fired from a canon. She landed on something filled with awkward points and hard edges and sent it crashing to the ground.

But it wasn't until said thing groaned that she realised just what she'd landed in the middle of. There were five police officers around her, all of them shocked.

"H-Hey," she said, wincing. "I was just… cleaning the vents…"

They recovered quickly, though not in the way she expected. One reached for a gun and another cursed angrily. It was warning enough that not all was as it seemed and that these weren't police responding to a distress call from the others. Yang kicked out, catching the one drawing his weapon in the wrist and sending it skidding back. She twisted on the body of the one beneath her, shifting her centre of gravity and slamming one boot up into the jaw of the second. He tumbled like a felled tree but the others backed off and tried to draw on her.

A pale leg caught one in the throat before he could, however. His head smashed into a wall so hard it cracked. The other screamed as red claws caught the underside of his arm, forcing him to drop the gun. Miltia brained him with the handle of her gun before he could recover. The one under Yang groaned pitifully. She stomped down once to knock him out.

"Wondered where you were," Melanie quipped.

"Trapped in the shooting range with Roman. He's still in there. Don't ask," she added, cutting them off as their mouths opened. "Just tell me what's going on."

"We're under attack."

Yang sighed for what felt like the one hundredth time. "Can I have some details with that burger?"

"White Fang dressed as police are hitting us," Melanie explained. "Or we figure they're White Fang. Not sure we've made enough other enemies to warrant it and they're all faunus. Anyway, the front and car park is under attack and they blasted through the wall by the infirmary."

"We have an infirmary?"

"Yeah, but no medical team. They're pretty much empty."

"Junior was using the fridges to store the more expensive booze," Miltia chipped in. "If those bastards blew up my wine there'll be hell to pay."

It was ridiculous, but made too much sense to even bother arguing about. Turning an infirmary into a wine cooler was just so them. "Alright, fine. Where are you two headed?"

"We were going to the supply rooms…"

"Okay, do that, but grab some explosives while you're there and get to the firing range. Take out the door and free Roman, and have him support everyone at the front entrance. I've got reinforcements en route."

"Beacon?"

"No, my uncle."

Miltia looked annoyed. "What uses is an old guy gonna be?"

Yang growled and brushed past them. The White Fang might have just been trying to take them out but she wasn't sure. What if they were looking for something? Did they even have anything?

 _They might be looking to close down the investigation on Fang,_ she realised. It was possible they thought the evidence they'd collected was stored here. They might not have realised Ozpin had it already, or that her blood samples were in Beacon. In fact, given that they killed Grey to keep his blood out of the picture this might have been a hit on her.

It didn't really change anything. Whatever they were here for, they needed to repel the attack, preferably before it got so bad innocent people got dragged into it. That meant they couldn't take the fight outside the HQ. So long as the White Fang were pointing their weapons inwards, anyone outside would be safe.

Yang reached the next intersection in the corridors and looked down it to the left, in the direction of the main foyer. Gunfire indicated it was still being held, and an explosion proved Junior was up and fighting. The Malachites were back down by the supply rooms and firing range, but Yang's office was to the right, along with the cells and evidence rooms. She went that way, reaching her office and checking the door. It was still shut. She kicked it open and stormed in.

It was empty.

Either it wasn't the target or they hadn't reached it yet. Either way, Yang hurried over to her desk and opened a compartment under it, finding the hidden gun the paranoid ex-Captain had put there. Mercury had shown her it, saying it was funny how the old guy had expected them to turn on him at every moment. It didn't surprise her in the slightest Mercury had figured out where it and several others were hidden. He'd probably had fun winding the previous incumbent up.

Checking her other drawers, Yang took out what little of importance she had, the original drive with Blue Sky's intelligence on it and also the card with Vincent's name and number, neither of which she wanted the enemy getting hold of. Both were stuffed in her jacket with the new drive on Adam. Her eyes scanned the rest of the office.

"That's it. There isn't any more evidence they can get hold of." Her eyes fell on the cabinet where Ironwood's gift lay. They wouldn't be interested in that, but she _could_ use it.

No. Not now. She'd probably need some surgery to attach it anyway.

Footsteps echoed outside her office – too many to be anyone in the VSPR. Yang cursed and flipped the desk over, spilling documents on the floor. It was reinforced for that purpose and she ducked behind it, ready for a fire fight.

Only for the figures to run by her door, their shadowy shapes passing her by entirely. It was barely three or four seconds but they were gone, headed deeper into the VSPR facility. They'd not even stopped to check her door, nor to look inside.

Was it possible they weren't here for her?

That didn't make any sense…

Creeping to the door and prepared for an ambush, Yang tugged it open slowly and poked her head out. She just caught sight of the back of someone as he turned a corner and went further into the compound. A little more confident, she stepped out and shut her door behind her.

They might have just been running wherever, but she doubted it. The White Fang could be incompetent at times, but they weren't stupid. This building was something they could have gotten the layout for or had someone scope out fairly easily. They had to know where they were going, and that didn't seem to be her office.

A near-silent figure landed behind her.

"Neo?"

A finger tapped her back twice in answer.

"Do you know where they're going?"

Neo nodded and motioned to her ears, indicating perhaps that she'd listened in on them or overheard somehow. She might have used her illusions to hide herself. When Yang nodded to show she was listening, Neo mimed an odd action before her, gripping onto two things and shaking them.

"They want to shake someone down?"

She shook her head and mimed again. This time she drew both hands up and down vertically, then positioned herself behind them and made the gripping motion again. She looked very sad, almost like she was trapped in-

"The cells. They're headed to the cell block?" When Neo nodded happily, Yang cursed. "But why would they be going there? The only person we have is Mark." He had been taken in the first attack on Middivale Pharmaceuticals. He'd been there when it all started.

Neo mimed a throat-slitting motion.

"Shit. We have to stop them." Yang broke into a run, Neo close behind. "With the power gone, everything's been re-routed to just the essentials. Would that include the cells?" She had a feeling it would, since otherwise anyone trapped inside would have been locked away to die. No one in the right mind would design a building with such a cruel trap.

True to her fears, the large door that marked the top of the stairs leading down to the basement was open. There were two White Fang at it dressed in uniforms, but they didn't have the time to scream as Yang and Neo reached them. Hers went silent as his head cracked into the wall behind him. Neo's lay face-down in a pool of his own blood. Yang didn't waste any time telling her off and practically threw herself down the staircase.

"You're here to break me out?" she heard Mark ask nervously.

"Not quite, brother. We're here to tie up a loose end."

"B-But the Fang Virus. My efforts-"

"Are no longer needed." A gun clicked. "Adam sends his regards."

"NO!" Yang screamed. She rounded the corner, drawing the attention of the faunus with the gun. That distraction was all Mark needed to throw his body aside, though the gunman noticed and shot. The bullet hit their prisoner and sprayed blood behind him. He fell with a cry of pain and groaned on the hard floor. She had to hope he was still alive.

There was no time for checking and she closed the distance on the one who'd tried to kill her prisoner quickly. He cursed and turned, shot twice in her direction. Both bounced off her aura and she was on him a second later. The two of them crashed back into the bars, the metal slamming into the back of his head. There was one other downstairs and Neo had him under control.

Yang and the faunus fell to the floor and wrestled for the gun. He was stronger than she'd expected – trained to some degree, and since the blow against the bars hadn't knocked him out, she had to assume he had aura, too. He wasn't on Adam's level, but then neither was she. He hooked an arm around her neck and tried to choke the air from her. While she could pry his grip loose enough to breathe, her stump was useless but for smacking against his face.

"Get off," she growled. Ember Celica fired. It didn't hit him but the shot so closed to his ears stunned him nonetheless and caused him to flinch. She kicked off with her feet and drove them both back into the bars again, crushing him against them. He continued to hold on and tried to regain a proper grip, but Yang flung herself back time and time again.

As she did, she growled a question. "Why are you attacking us?"

"Y-You think we wouldn't?" he snarled. "You're problems. Problems get removed."

It was bullshit, she knew. This attack wasn't big enough to get rid of them. It was an assassination, and she wasn't the target. Their prisoner was. If it was just a case of loose ends, they could have dealt with him at any point. Why wait until now to kill him?

Unless there hadn't been a risk until now. Unless the White Fang felt the VSPR were so far off the right answer it wasn't a pressing issue. Something had changed, possibly their digging deeper into the workings of the Fang Virus.

"N-Neo," Yang gasped.

The multi-coloured girl looked over and ran forward, but paused as footsteps echoed from the steps. More White Fang were coming, and that meant even if Neo saved her, Mark would be killed. Yang growled and waved her stump, motioning for Neo to handle it. The staircase was thin enough that they could only face her one at a time, and Neo was vicious enough to kill the lot. That just left her to deal with Mr Strangles.

He wasn't getting any closer to cutting off her oxygen, but she didn't dare let up in case he had time to draw a knife and go at it with that. She staggered up with him on her back and hurled herself across the room, scraping her right side – and him – against the wall. Another turn had him slam into it a second time, then a third. He held on and drove a knee into her kidney, earning a pained grunt from her.

In turn, she spun and dropped, driving her own elbow into his stomach in what must have looked more like a wrestler's elbow drop than a huntress fighting style.

"O-Over here," a voice rasped. "I'll help."

Yang's eyes caught Mark in his cell, one hand clamped against his shoulder. She had no idea whether he meant her or the bastard on her back, but there was no time to think. Yang shucked off Ember Celica and tossed it to him, turned her back around and _rammed_ her aggressor into the bars. She waited for the tell-tale bark of her weapon, but instead received an audible _thunk_ and the arms around her neck slowly slipping away.

Yang rubbed her throat and stood up. She eyed Mark and sighed. "That's a shotgun, by the way. Not a blackjack."

"I don't know how to use this thing!"

Yang held her hand out.

"What will I get if I give it to you?"

"You've been around the twins too much. I'll give you a six pack."

Ember Celica hit her in the chest. On the floor, the White Fang groaned and looked toward the prisoner. "Y-You're a disappointment to the White Fang."

Yang knocked him out with a well-placed punch to the back of the neck.

"Good job, Mark."

"My- oh forget it. Yeah, thanks." He huddled in his cell and continued to bleed petulantly. "I could use a bandage here."

Yang tossed him the entire first aid kit off the wall. "You know how to use this?"

"Well, I _am_ a doctor."

"I've a feeling we're going to have to talk about that later and why the White Fang wanted to off you." Yang eyed the staircase to see if Neo needed help. She really didn't. In fact, it looked like Neo had finished them all off and gone looking for more. "Why didn't you mention you were a doctor?"

"You never asked me anything!"

"Huh. Touché. Stay here," she called. When he made to argue she cut him off. "You're in protective custody and the building is crawling with your ex-colleagues. Trust me, you want to stay here. I'll seal the door behind you." She dragged the unconscious White Fang into a cell two down and slammed the door shut. "I'll come back with some more supplies when this is all done with."

"And my six pack?" Mark asked hopefully.

"Far too much time with the twins…" Yang groaned, stepping over a few Neo-induced corpses and sealing the cell block once more.

/-/

Most of the battle was over when Yang got back up to the foyer. Roman was out of the firing range and Mercury was whining over the gun-riddled remains of their computer game system by the couch. Yang stopped to tap Junior's arm and mention the injured faunus in the cell. The man nodded and headed off to handle it. Ironically, he knew first aid from being a club owner, even if it was just a front for criminal activity. There were boxes to tick to avoid legal problems, and someone being healthy and safety trained was one of them.

With a sigh and a nod to Neo, who looked far too satisfied with herself, Yang pushed through to Miltia and Melanie, who were busy harassing a familiar figure.

"I'm telling you I'm not with the White Fang!" Qrow growled.

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell us all about it in the dungeon," Miltia said. "I mean cell block, yeah. I've got a feeling the three of us are going to get _very_ well acquainted." Though Qrow might have missed it, Yang didn't fail to notice the way the two were staring at her uncle. She had a feeling he wouldn't have been quite so against the idea if he did.

"Hands off, you two. That's my uncle."

"Firecracker – you okay!?"

" _He's_ your uncle?" Miltia hissed, appearing in front of Yang's face a second after she'd let go of Qrow. "Where were you hiding him!? Is he single?"

"He's old enough to be your dad," Yang hissed back.

Miltia took another long look and turned back. "I'd call him daddy."

Yang sighed, half in embarrassment, half in exasperation, and pushed through to stand before her uncle. She looked around him, noting that not only did he have his weapon out, but that it looked like one of the fake police cars outside had been cut in two by it. He must have routed the last of them when he hit from behind. She also noticed he still looked worried and was giving her the up and down, all the while ignorant of the fact Melanie was doing the same to him, but for far less medical purposes.

"I'm fine, Uncle Qrow. Thanks for the help."

"Glad to hear it, firecracker. I didn't expect a police HQ to be so exciting."

"We throw the best parties," Roman called sarcastically.

"Yeah, you should come to one," Miltia interrupted, far more eager than Roman. "I could mix you up a cocktail. It would blow your socks off. And your pants, if I'm lucky," she added in a furtive whisper. Yang's face turned a horrid shade of puce and she shoved the Malachite aside.

"Bad. Not my Uncle."

"Why? Is he taken?"

"Yes."

"No," Qrow replied.

"UNCLE QROW!"

"What? I'm not."

Yang growled as she heard the Malachite sisters cheer.

"Huh, my Semblance usually kicks in before something like this happens," Qrow said, grinning a little. "Maybe it's taking a break."

Yang didn't have the heart to tell him his Semblance was probably still in full working order if the Malachite twins wanted a piece of him. She'd _seen_ the kind of things those two were into. Bad luck wasn't something happening to mess this up. The twins _were_ the bad luck.

"Yeah, sure, let's go with that. Anyway, come in. If you can find a bottle of beer that doesn't have a bullet in it, help yourself. Mind the bodies."

Qrow gingerly stepped over one and sighed. "This isn't the peaceful career I was hoping it would be for you, Yang. Why are the White Fang attacking you like this? Is this Vincent's doing?"

"Are you still on about him?"

"He broke into your apartment, Yang. No man is allowed to do that."

"You do."

"I'm different."

"You can break into my apartment," Miltia chirped. When Yang pushed her away, the Malachite tossed a rolled-up ball of paper to Qrow. He caught it before Yang could, and stashed it away before she could force him to give it back.

"What?" he defended. "Twins, Yang. Twins. You don't know what it was like growing up with your dad."

"Ugh, your funeral. Anyway, we're waiting for someone to come up before we figure out why this happened." Yang brushed some shell casings off one of the remaining seats and sat down. "Junior should be back with him soon."

As if her words had summoned him, Junior came through the doors with his patient behind him, looking a little the worse for wear and gripping his shoulder, but otherwise still alive and in one piece.

"Shit, Mark, what happened to you?" Roman asked.

"My name- ah, whatever. I got shot. Happy?"

"Who's that?" Qrow asked.

"One of our prisoners," she responded. "I don't know who the other is. I'll get his name later." Yang missed the way Mark visibly trembled, one hand gripped into a fist before him. "Anyway, the White Fang came here solely to kill you. What I want to know is why – and your life is on the line here. It would be wise to give us a real answer."

"I wasn't going to lie," Mark whined. He sat down with a sigh. "It's just not exactly something I'm proud of, you know."

"You're a terrorist," Qrow said with a roll of the eyes.

"That doesn't mean there aren't lines we don't want to cross. Besides, I was just a medical officer and a bit of a researcher. I was supposed to make medicine that would help the White Fang survive better. And… And I did." He sighed. "I managed to make something that would let one of our people keep fighting through even the worst of pain and injury. The only problem was that they lost control of themselves while they did it."

Mark laughed bitterly. "I guess Adam didn't see that as a problem."

Yang's eyes widened. "No fucking way…"

"I was at Middivale to oversee it, but also because I was the only one who knew how it worked. Even back then I still thought we were just making it into pills so it would be easier for _us_ to take – not to be shipped out to people."

Roman leaned forward. " _You_ synthesised the Fang Virus!?"

Mark cringed. "Maybe…"

The door to the HQ slammed open. Three guns and a scythe-sword-hybrid were pointed toward the entrance, before all fell. Lisa Lavender staggered in, eyes wide and smile even wider. "I did it," she shouted. "I found out who synthesised the Fang Virus!"

She paused when she saw the bodies, broken bottle and alcohol staining the floor.

"Did you throw a party and not invite me?"

* * *

 **Well done, Lisa. Best team member. And so, it all comes around. Mark had a purpose, and a role, and was vaguely important. The White Fang have also made their move and stirred the beast. But how close are the VSPR to the truth for them to have thought this a necessary act?**

 **And will the twins get their dusty old Qrow?**

 **Find out next time.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**Just a quick reminder to people that there will be no weekday fics next week due to work being a pain next week. As such, Service with a Smile will be in two weeks, and the next Captain Dragon will be in three. After that, it's back to normal.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

"So, you created the Fang Virus?"

"I-I'm not quite comfortable with it being put like that," Mark said, sat awkwardly in the centre of a large bullet-hole-ridden couch as the entirety of the VSPR plus Qrow sat or stood opposite. "I created a medical booster for the White Fang which had some unstable side-effects I was trying to iron out. Adam was the one to take it and make it into the Fang Virus."

"That's semantics," Yang pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm on the cusp of being thrown in prison for the rest of my life," Mark said glumly. "I think semantics are kind of important in legal proceedings."

A fair point. He was definitely right about the time frame, intent or not. The Council of Vale would string him up for this and probably have him sent away for multiple life sentences. Yang wasn't sure what she thought of that, but a part of her didn't like the political sentiment behind it. Even if she'd only been a police officer for a month or so now, she felt she had a good grasp on the law. People were punished for what they intended to do, otherwise you'd be arresting anyone who accidentally tripped and knocked someone over.

Mark might have been somewhere in the middle of that. On the one hand, he'd willingly joined the White Fang, which meant he'd at least intended _some harm_ to people – but it was clear he hadn't expected this much or in this way.

"Why did you join the White Fang?" Qrow asked. He was sat to the side with a twin on either side of him. Her dirty uncle looked far too pleased about that, even as he asked such a serious question.

"I wanted to change things… or maybe I was just swept up in the appeal of it, I don't know. Vale's not as bad with prejudice as some of the other Kingdoms. I worked in the hospitals, and sure I got the odd bit – people refusing to be seen by me or colleagues making snide comments, but it was little things. The thing is, those things add up. It was never enough that I could complain or bring disciplinary procedures down on people, but it was enough to drive me increasingly mad every day. My clothes would go missing, I'd be skipped over on promotions, people wouldn't talk to me – I even had someone try to report me for malpractice." Mark huffed angrily. "People die in hospitals all the time, and you get used to that, but every time someone couldn't be saved with me there was an inquest. People would look into it. I'd be put on leave, and then inevitably I'd be let back once it was clear I'd done all I could."

"But it happened again and again." He punched the couch. "It got too much. I got too angry. I started to think things needed to change, and then one of my friends invited me to a rally, and I wasn't sure at first – I didn't want to hurt anyone – but they told me I could just work in medicine and first aid. They told me I wouldn't have to break any of my oaths…"

"And then they used your research to do this," Yang said.

He slumped. "Yeah…"

"That sounds like them." Yang sighed and turned to her right. "Roman, what do you think?"

"Why are you asking _him_ for advice?" Qrow interrupted. He glared at the renowned thief.

"Because he's a good judge of character," Yang replied.

"He's part of the reason Beacon was attacked!"

"I didn't say _he_ was a good character."

Qrow grumbled something under his breath and Yang pretended not to hear it. Really, everyone seemed to question why she trusted Roman. Were they idiots or something? She _didn't_ trust Roman – of course she didn't. But he wasn't an idiot and it was in his best interests to work with her. All she was doing was listening to his opinion.

"Well Roman?" she hinted. "What do you say?"

Roman leaned back on the couch beside her, one arm hooked around behind – on the armrest, not her shoulders – and the other holding a cigar to his lips. It smelled of sandalwood, though Roman himself smelled of dust and sweat, likely due all the fighting. "I think he's an idiot," he said, earning a surprised yelp from Mark. "I mean come on, the White Fang are terrorists. Did you really expect they'd have cared about your oaths, or that they wouldn't use your research for ill? Whether you're giving them medicine to let them commit atrocities better or synthesising a poison yourself, it's the same results in the end."

"I-I… but I…"

"But I think he's an honest idiot. Call it ideological or just plain dumb, but he's telling the truth."

"A naïve fool," Yang sighed.

"Kinda like your sis- OW!" Roman rubbed his thigh where she'd none too gently pinched him.

"Junior?" she asked.

"Same opinion," the taller man said gruffly, stood behind her couch with arms crossed. "It's up to you, boss, but if I may, we could use a doctor around here."

"We could…"

"Wait a minute," Qrow said, trying to stand. He wasn't fully able to extricate himself from the twins but at least managed to stagger half of the way up. "Firecracker, you can't be thinking what I think you're thinking. He's a terrorist!"

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're thinking, since you apparently seem to agree with Ruby and think Roman and I are banging one another."

"They do?" Roman asked, amused.

"Are you?" Qrow asked nervously.

Roman smirked. "I don't kiss and tell."

"You son of a-"

"Down Uncle," Yang said, emphasising her point by tossing a cushion at his midsection. While it wouldn't have normally been enough on its own, the Malachites took the hint and added their own weight, forcing him back onto the couch. "As much as I love you, and as much as I'm grateful you came down to help us out here, this is still a VSPR matter."

"And my opinion doesn't count for anything?"

"Didn't you tell me yourself that I needed to start striking out on my own, being independent and learning to make my own decisions?"

Qrow wilted. "Don't use my own lessons against me…" He made no other complaint, however, and through the concern and the irritation, Yang could just make out a glimmer of pride in his eyes. Not at what she'd decided, but at the fact she'd made a decision in the first place, and that she was willing to see it through.

"Mark, I'll give you the same option I gave Lisa," she said, leaning forward. "You can join the VSPR or you can face justice, in so far as justice counts in this city."

The ex-terrorist looked up.

"I can't promise you we'll be all that better than the White Fang," she continued. "While we'll probably try to keep you as a medical officer, there's no telling what'll happen. Today being case in point. You might have to come on missions, too, and you might be expected to fight. Also, no one is going to treat you any better, I imagine. Even if we help people, most of us – you included – are criminals. People are going to hate us either way."

"Geez, Firecracker. Your recruitment speeches need work…"

Yang shrugged. "I won't sugar-coat it."

"Heh." Mark shook his head and laughed. "At least you're more honest than the White Fang were, but it's not like I have a choice."

"You do," Roman said. "It's just a shitty one. Life's like that, no matter how much people might whine it shouldn't be. Good people get shafted and the bad prosper, while those who go through life not caring either way get to live a life of mediocrity, with no control over their fate."

"Is that why you became a criminal?" Yang asked.

"Pretty much. I was sick of other people deciding the fate of me and mine."

"Pathetic excuse-making," Qrow snorted.

"Heh. I don't make any excuses for what I've done," Roman chuckled. "Why should I? I sure as hell don't regret any of it."

"Quit it, you two." Yang looked back to the faunus before her. "Mark. What's your decision?"

"I'm already dead to the White Fang, and if they found out I helped you I'll be even more dead. I'm in. I'll work with you."

"Good choice."

"Do I still get my crate of beer?"

"It was a six pack, not a crate."

"See, he's fitting in already," Mercury laughed.

"I suppose I should introduce myself, then. My name is-"

"Your first order of business is to see if any of these lot are still alive and patch them up if they are," Yang said, interrupting Mark. "Miltia, Melanie-" Yang paused, suddenly aware of the pleading glances the two were sending her. "Ugh, fine, you stay there. Mercury and Neo, help Mark carry the corpses to his new office."

Junior raised a hand. "Um…"

"Junior, you'll need to clear your booze out of the coolers. He's going to need them. Don't we have fridges in the kitchens, anyway?"

"That's for spirits though…"

"Are you running a police station or a bar?" Qrow asked. He glanced to the reinforced minibar in the back corner of the common room. "You know what, never mind. What are you going to do now, Firecracker?"

Yang watched the three chosen walk off to their assigned tasks, though she sighed when Mercury started flapping a dead White Fang's arm around and mimicking his voice. Neo laughed and did the same, holding the hand of a corpse over its mouth as if deeply offended. She wasn't even surprised at this point, and turned back to Qrow with a heavy sigh.

"We'll clean up this mess and hire some new equipment to replace what was lost."

"That's it? Yang, you've been _attacked_. Do you really think it won't happen again? What if they hit your apartment?"

"Then I'll be free of the shitty contract and able to find a better place." Yang sighed when his eyes narrowed. "Oh calm down, I'm not saying that's all we'll do, but we _do_ have to fix the place up. We can't leave bodies – dead or otherwise – just lying around on the floor. Nor can we leave the back wall falling to pieces right next to our storage cabinets." The building wasn't that resilient and there was no telling what idiots would sneak in, or what they'd find. Weapons were a very real possibility, though she had a feeling her team would be more upset if the alcohol was taken.

"Lisa, this has some Intel on Adam Taurus," she said, flicking the drive to the older woman. "Can you look into it for us?"

Lisa sighed. "Now? I just got back…"

"Well, you can help clean up the dead bodies if you'd rather…"

"Let me just look through this for you." The reporter giggled nervously and vanished into one of the back rooms, face a little green.

"Once we have an idea of where the White Fang are, we'll strike at them."

"Wouldn't Mark know?"

"I'm not-" Mark sighed. "Ugh. No, I wouldn't. We were never told where the bases were and I've been captured for weeks now. They'll have moved everywhere I did know of by now, especially after they tried to kill me."

"So your plan is to go after Adam Taurus, despite how dangerous he is?"

"No. My plan is to go after Adam Taurus _because_ of how dangerous he is. It's kind of my job."

Qrow ran a hand down his face. "Fine, but when it happens, I want in."

"Sure thing."

"I think he was asking me," Yang said with a roll of the eyes at Miltia. "But yes, sure, I'd be happy to have you along. It's not like I want to go after him on my own. I'd bring the whole huntsman population of Remnant if I could. Hell, I'm actually considering calling General Ironwood if I find out where Adam is."

Qrow looked a little nervous at that. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea, Firecracker. His responses tend to be a little… uh… extreme."

Yang tilted her head. "I like extreme."

"I mean extreme collateral damage."

"Even better."

"I'd rather avoid that myself," Roman drawled. "I'm not sure Ironwood would wait for us to be clear of the danger zone before opening fire with one of his battleships. Or rather I'm not sure he'd wait for _me_ to be clear of it."

"We'll still need help if there are a lot of White Fang," Yang pointed out. "Even with Qrow and Mark, that's only nine or so who can fight. We're not exactly equipped to fight a full-scale war here. We can't keep running after them trying to deal with Fang outbreaks, either. The White Fang will just make more and attack again. We need to take them out." She slammed a fist onto the coffee table, which, already being damaged from the attack promptly collapsed. Yang valiantly ignored it and held her fist vacantly where the table had once stood. "We need to end the White Fang once and for all."

"But we don't have the funding for all the gear we'd need."

"Sure we do." Yang grinned and swept an arm around her, to the destroyed wall, the numerous police cars cut in two outside and the wreckage everywhere. "In fact, we just got a huge heap of new funding right here. It's your job to contact the insurance company, Roman."

The thief chuckled. "I'll be sure to tell them how we lost our fleet of twenty or so police cars. I hear those are expensive nowadays."

"But you didn't have a fleet," Qrow said.

"Whatever do you mean, Uncle Qrow? Can't you see all the police cars outside? Who else would they belong to?"

It took a second for Qrow to catch on, but when he did he lowered his head into his hands and let out a long, forlorn sigh. "I feel like I've gone wrong as an uncle somewhere. Your mother would be proud."

"Thanks."

"I didn't mean Summer…"

"Thanks," Yang repeated. "I aim to please. Now, if Miltia doesn't remove her hand out from under your top, I'll remove her ability to please entirely."

Miltia sighed and did so. "Spoilsport."

"Not in my line of sight, you two." Yang looked to her uncle and shivered. "In fact, nowhere within a five-hundred metre radius of me, and if you give me any of the details I swear I'll kill you myself."

She had enough problems without seeing or hearing her uncle getting some being added to the list.

/-/

It was amazing what a vast amount of insurance money could achieve. Two days had passed and you'd have been hard pressed to tell the VSPR HQ had been attacked. If one didn't count the ornamental plaque that had been commissioned and affixed to the front gates, all of which had been Neo's fault, and arranged while Mercury kept Yang busy.

 _Welcome to the VSPR_

 _Protecting Vale with dignity, honour and courage_

 _Current Score:_

 _VSPR: 56_

 _White Fang: 0_

Yang kept meaning to tear it down but something always managed to come up. As the days had passed by, she pretty much forgot about it. The walls were fully repaired and now also painted a lovely shade of light grey, while the windows were frosted over to prevent anyone from seeing in, partly for privacy reasons but mostly so they could play videogames without people wondering where all the taxpayer money was going.

The exterior walls had been rebuilt too, and the medical facility Mark had taken over was stocked with fresh equipment and new supplies. Junior had snuck a new cooling unit into the order which she'd missed, but Yang let that go when he'd given her the puppy-dog eyes and a promise of a Strawberry Sunrise a day.

She had vetoed a few things, and hadn't been much surprised to see the team try and sneak them past her. She'd let the pool table go because hey, pool was cool, but the actual request for a swimming pool in the car park, she'd put her foot down on. There was also to be no dungeon in the cells. When Miltia and Melanie had explained it wasn't to torture or interrogate prisoners but for `recreational` purposes, Yang had put her foot down even harder. The VSPR simply didn't need that much leather, especially not in whip form.

Roman had proven as good as his word and rinsed the insurance company for all they were worth, threatening media outcry if they failed (against those who had defended the public from the White Fang, no less) and then moved onto subtle threats against their business when that didn't work. Roman was still, after all, a dangerous a feared criminal. Their budget had burgeoned as a result, which was fortunate since the information from Vincent hinted that Adam and the White Fang were stationed _outside_ of the city.

"All their movements indicate they're in the wilderness around the city and moving their supplies there. I'm not sure how your friend got hold of all this, but it's pretty detailed. He'd have to be watching every entrance and exit to the city for weeks."

"Remind me again who this Vincent is?" Roman asked suspiciously.

"A friend, apparently."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go with that." Roman puffed on a cigar. "Operationally speaking, it makes sense for the White Fang to keep their stuff out the city. Less chance of someone stumbling over it and more room to work with. The only problem is the Grimm, naturally."

"But that's not a problem if there are enough of you," Yang sighed. "Yeah, I get the hint. We're dealing with a lot of terrorists here, or a really fortified position, both of which will be a tough nut to crack." It wasn't the news she'd wanted but it was at least a step in the right direction. "Good work, Lisa."

"Are we going to try and attack it?"

"We'll have to properly find it first, but we'll pretty much have to attack it. We might be able to rely on the Council to help with that." Yang paused when she noticed the pained expressions both Lisa and Roman wore. "Or we can't…?" she asked uncertainly.

Roman and Lisa shared a look and it was clear Lisa had drawn the short straw. "We really can't," she said. "Your friend already said there might be a spy in the Council, and it's almost impossible that a base this size would go unnoticed unless someone was helping it. If you tell the Council, they'll need days to organise an assault, and you can guarantee the base will be empty by that point."

Great. It was exactly what they didn't need, but Yang couldn't ignore the validity of their warning. Even if the Council ended up being entirely loyal, no one would miss the build-up of forces as they prepared for the assault, nor such a large force leaving the city. Dismantling the White Fang base wouldn't really solve anything. They needed to take out Adam and destroy any means of making more of the Fang Virus.

"A smaller team could sneak in more effectively," Roman suggested.

"I know, Roman. I'm not an idiot. I just…" She sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter until we see what we're dealing with and figure out how big this place is. Who do you think should be sent to scout it out? Neo?"

"Neo," Roman agreed. "Give her a camera to record and take some footage though, because she's not exactly great with details otherwise."

"I can handle that," Lisa said. "I'll give her some basic photography training too."

"Need some help?" Yang asked.

"I'll be fine. Neo's a little sweetheart." Lisa giggled and slipped out of Yang's office, closing the door behind her.

"A sweetheart?"

"Don't ask me," Roman said. "I've got no idea." He shifted a leg up so he could sit on her desk, ignoring the pointed look Yang shot him for it. "So, we're going to be keeping this quiet from the Council, huh. They're not going to like that."

"You mean they won't like not being able to shift the kudos in their favour."

"As I said, they won't like it."

"Well, they'll have to lump it," Yang said. "I had Lisa buy some body cams with the budget and we'll record everything when we go in. Apart from what we take for evidence, I intend to have Lisa splice into a video to be aired to the news. The Council can try and push that as them being the saviours, but we'll see how well that works when all the footage is of _us_ saving the day."

"Devious," Roman complimented. "I like it. I think we're rubbing off on you."

"I hope not. It's bad enough Uncle Qrow and Ruby think we're screwing without someone hearing you say that."

Roman's laugh was entirely too self-satisfied.

"Did you manage to get the _other_ things I asked for?" Yang asked.

"Oh, you mean our new toys? Yeah, I managed it. Ironwood wasn't pleased but we had the money and he at least likes you enough to bend a few rules. That's a pretty impressive ally you've made there, you know. The Council would be even more nervous if they realised you were making such powerful connections."

"Maybe they _should_ be worried," Yang said, shrugging. "It's not exactly a secret we think one of them is involved. They're all suspects at this point."

"Might want to keep those thoughts quiet for now."

"You'll notice I'm not exactly in a hurry to tell them." Yang sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, I'm not sure what to do at all. I could tell Ozpin, but I'm not sure what he could do, and I'm pretty sure Uncle Qrow will have told him anyway. It's not like he can spare anyone to help, not when the Council would turn around and accuse him of working against them a moment later."

Even if Ozpin wanted to help, his hands were tied. He couldn't send any of the faculty, and although he could probably gently request some students assist, he'd be in a world of trouble if anything went wrong. And to be honest, Yang didn't like the idea of bringing students with her anyway. Never mind that she'd been one before and technically still was. It felt different when it was just you making a choice that affected yourself. She didn't want to be responsible for any teams being torn apart like hers had been.

That meant Team RWBY were a no-go, too. Weiss and Ruby would be furious when they found out, and Blake would be pissed, but it really was none of their business.

"At least we have Uncle Qrow," Yang said. "He may not look it, but he's worth at least two huntsmen."

"You could try asking your mysterious friend."

"Vincent?"

"He was able to find all of this," Roman pointed out. "He could probably arrange other stuff too. Even if he can't fight directly, he might know people who could, or be able to arrange something. It's worth a shot."

"I guess it can't hurt…" The intercom on Yang's desk buzzed and Yang answered, wincing a second later once Mercury told her who had arrived. "And speaking of hurt. We replaced all of the furniture in the foyer, right?

"Considering how many bullets were lodged in them, it felt fairly necessary."

"Good, good." Yang stood with a sigh. "Well, I guess it's time to face the music."

Roman looked vaguely confused, though he realised after following her down the corridor, precisely when he heard an imperious voice shout something unpleasant at Mercury. Roman chuckled and lit another cigar. It was just like him to take pleasure in her misery.

Just how it was so like Ruby to just bring her team down to the precinct with no warning whatsoever.

"Yang!" the smaller girl yelled happily, tackling her with a hug.

"Hey Rubes. How're you doing?"

"Really good. I-" Ruby sniffed. "Is that dust I smell?"

"This is a police station, Ruby. We have dust here."

"No, no, it's like spent dust – like guns and stuff. I recognise it from working with Crescent Rose so much." She sniffed again, heedless of the bead of sweat running down the side of Yang's face. "Did something happen?"

"No." Yang said, a little too quickly.

Weiss frowned at the couch she was sat on. "Is this new furniture?"

"No."

"It still has the price tag on."

"Okay, it's new," Yang amended. She could hardly fail to note Blake's absolute silence as she stood a little behind and to the side. Neither was quite ready to talk to the other. "We fancied a chance. The couch wasn't really big enough for all of us."

"That wall is a different colour, too."

"A fresh lick of paint."

"Huh, what's this?" Ruby knelt down and came back up with a spent shell casing. She ran it between her finger and thumb and Yang cursed Mercury's half-assed cleaning. Seriously, did she have to do _everything_ herself around here?

"It looks like a bullet," Blake said.

"Well yeah, duh." Ruby rolled her eyes. "But what's it doing here?"

"We were practising," Yang lied.

"In the foyer?"

"Yep."

"With live ammunition?"

"It's the best way to practise."

Weiss' eyes narrowed in that way they often did when she didn't believe the excuses being put towards her. It was normally due to something Ruby said, but Yang knew the expression from second-hand experience. "You wouldn't be trying to hide anything from us, would you?"

Yang laughed. "Why would I?"

"Yang always laughs when she's nervous," Ruby reported.

"Thanks, sis…"

"Something happened," Blake said. "I can smell gunfire and… blood?"

"I didn't realise you were a bloodhound now."

Blake's eyes narrowed, not at all impressed with the comparison. "It's not hard to notice it when there's still some blood in the corner over there." Yang turned with a muffled curse, but there was nothing. It was clean.

It took her a second to realise she'd been had, and when she looked back their expressions were entirely too smug. Shit. She'd fallen straight into that one.

"Even if something happened – and I'm not saying it did – it would be a police matter, so I couldn't tell you anything."

That brought an end to their smirks, though it replaced them with annoyed frowns. It wasn't like the attack on the VSPR was a huge secret, but they'd managed to keep it out of the media, even if they'd had to report it to the nearest official police department, and thus the Council. Since knowing they'd been attacked didn't do much to make the Council look good (it being a sign of their poor policing, after all), they'd seen fit to help Yang keep it quiet.

Even if it looked like the betrayal of the open and free media was giving Lisa something of an aneurysm. She'd been twitching violently all of yesterday. The journalism senses were strong with that one.

"We can help," Ruby said.

"We don't need any help," Yang countered. "Look at us, we're basically sat here doing nothing. The White Fang have been quiet lately."

"And remember to take loads of pictures," Lisa said, coming through the back door with Neo in tow. "Quantity can make up for quality and it'll give us more to work with. Now, this is my favourite camera, so don't break it. Remember, you need to be gentle to get the best focus."

Neo nodded dutifully, if with a little boredom, and took the first chance she had to slip out the entrance and away. Blake, Weiss and Ruby watched her go, before their attention turned back to Yang.

"What?" she asked. "Neo wants to work a little photography on the side."

"Where?" Weiss asked.

"Vale." The Kingdom, anyway.

"You're hiding something, Yang."

"You're paranoid."

"Boss, one of the prisoners is willing to tal-" Mark stepped into the room excitedly, saw who Yang was talking to, and quickly did a one-eighty. "And I'll just go and grab a drink."

"Stop!" Weiss commanded.

Mark did so.

"You realise _I'm_ your boss, right?" Yang asked dryly. "You don't need to do what she says."

"But she looks scary…"

"Touché."

"Prisoners, Yang?" Weiss asked triumphantly. "Last I checked, you only had one prisoner, and it was that faunus over there. Mark, right?"

Mark sighed. "Would it matter if I said it wasn't?"

"Exactly. So, it seems you've recently come into control of a few more prisoners. Funny, huh?"

"We may have had a minor run in with the White Fang," Yang hedged.

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Fifty-six of them, apparently."

"Knew I should have taken that sign down…" Yang sighed. There really was no hiding it at this point and things would only become worse if they tried to dig deeper. "Okay, fine, we were attacked by the White Fang. No one was hurt, we kicked butt and now we have some prisoners. Satisfied?"

"No. Why didn't you call us for help?"

"Uh, because we were in the middle of being attacked?"

"Uncle Qrow said you called him," Ruby complained.

Damn it, Uncle Qrow. Was nothing sacred? "Uncle Qrow is also banging the Malachites," Yang said.

Ruby's face went red, white and then green, and she fell to her knees, hands clamped over her ears. "LA LA LA, I can't hear you. Not the images. Make them stop!"

Okay, good. That was one of them defused. She wasn't sure Weiss or Blake would be much better, even if Weiss did look a little ill at the thought of her old uncle with two girls barely a year or more older than them. "T-That aside, I don't think it's fair to hide such things from us, Yang. We care about you."

"Like you hid things from me?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Hey, we already apologised for that!"

"Ugh, you're right. Sorry." Blake hadn't and Yang made sure the apology didn't so much as grace her direction. "Look, it's not something you lot can help with. They attacked, we fought them off and now we're carrying on like normal."

"The White Fang will try again," Blake said.

"They're welcome to try."

"That's…" Blake's eyes narrowed. "You intend to hunt them down first."

"Not sure how I'd go about doing that," Yang said, dodging the accusation. "It's not like we know where they are, and there isn't exactly enough of us to mount an attack even if we did."

"Yang…"

"Anyway, I'm on the clock and I _really_ must get back to work. Important work involving things to sign, budgets to audit and prisoners to transfer to some other holding facility. Admin stuff, you know."

"Yang, you _would_ tell us if you were going to do anything dangerous, wouldn't you?"

She laughed. "Sure."

"She's doing the nervous laugh thing again." Ruby groaned.

"The Malachites are into whips, leather and BDSM."

"Argh, Yang, stooop!"

Yang took the distraction for what it was and dipped back into the corridors, pushing Mark ahead of her. Team RWBY wouldn't actually dare push their luck breaking in after her. "Nice timing," she groused.

"Sorry. I didn't realise you had them here."

"Neither did I, to be honest. It's alright. So, a prisoner is willing to talk? Not for the same offer as you, I hope. I don't trust them enough to join the VSPR."

"He wants a plea deal. Junior is the one handling it. He just sent me to pass the message along."

As it turned out, Junior had most of it hashed out by the time Yang got down, and had even moved the terrorist into his own cell, likely to prevent the other more loyal White Fang members killing him out of revenge. In total, they had about ten prisoners split between three cells, which left two a little crowded now that one was on his own. Well, it didn't really matter. Someone from the VPD would come down to collect them in a day or so and ship them off to the main prisons.

Junior pulled her aside when she came down, out of hearing distance of the prisoners, who even now were hurling abuse at the new traitor in their midst.

"Find out anything?"

"Quite a lot, actually. I managed to get a better idea on where their base is. I sent the info to Neo. I also got a basic idea of security, though I'm fairly sure they'll have changed any codes after this botched attack. In exchange, I've promised him leniency."

"How much leniency?"

"Enough as to be legal," Junior said, hefting a manual he'd borrowed from her office. "I checked the records, so it should stick. If all goes well, I'm sure the Council will be happy to go along with it. They might even pardon him. Well, depending on what other charges he has. Hopefully it will be enough for Neo to find this base of theirs before they relocate."

It would take time for them to organise that, though they might have been working on it for the last two days since the attack. Just another time pressure put on them. They'd pretty much have to go on the assault the moment they found it. If they let the White Fang get away here, it might be too late to track them down again.

"Good work," she said, nodding to Junior. "If you need me, I'll be in my office."

"You don't want to ask him any questions?"

"I trust you to handle it." And wasn't it a bizarre moment when she could say that of a criminal. "But I think I need to call in a few favours if we're to have any hope of this working out."

"It won't take Neo long to find this place now," Junior warned.

"I know. We'll start the attack tonight."

/-/

" _I'll see what I can do, though we naturally make no promises."_

"Any aid you can offer would be appreciated," Yang said.

" _At the very least I can cut off surveillance on the eastern wall tonight for a period of one hour. If the White Fang have spies in the security forces, they won't detect you leaving the city. I might also be able to arrange for some… hardware to be available outside the walls. I'll send you the location via scroll tonight."_

"That's a lot of favours for one man," Yang mused. "Just who are you?"

" _Why, I'm Vincent Saint-Sinclair, of course. Just a friend."_ The joviality faded from his voice. _"I needn't warn you to be careful if you go ahead with this, Captain. Once you're outside the walls, any hope of reinforcements will cease to exist. There will be no turning back if you begin the assault."_

"I know, but Vale can't last if the White Fang are allowed to gather their forces. Sooner or later they'll have enough of the Virus to drop it over the entire city, and then they'll march in. If it affects enough people, they could actually conquer Vale."

" _As unlikely as that is, we share your sentiment. You have our support, though you may not always notice it. We all do what we must to protect Vale."_

"I'm just doing this for me, Vincent."

" _Are you sure about that, Miss Xiao-Long? Is there not a small part of you that takes pride in what you do?"_

Pride? Yang wasn't sure. There hadn't been before, there not being much to feel proud about and getting back into Beacon on the forefront of her mind, but maybe, deep inside, she did feel a little pleased. They'd stopped numerous White Fang attacks, revealed the Fang Virus and now fought off a siege on their HQ. That was good work, and it was satisfying work. Unlike homework, lessons and lectures, she could see the value this was having on the people around her, on Remnant as a whole.

"Maybe…" she admitted. It felt like a betrayal to say it, but say it she did. "Maybe I do like it."

Vincent chuckled. _"You say it like there's such shame in enjoying your work. Forgive me, Captain, but I must go. It will take time to arrange our `gifts` for transport."_ The call ended with a click and Yang put the scroll down, wondering once again just who he was and what she'd signed herself up for.

Either way, he'd proven more helpful to them than the Council had, and he hadn't done anything that went against the VSPR's goals yet. Hopefully that wouldn't change. If it was going to, this would be the moment. This would be the moment for a lot of things, really. She'd already sent a message to Qrow, warning him of what was ahead. His reply was suitably simple.

 _I'll be there._

And so would Adam Taurus… at least by all accounts. Yang's severed arm burned at the memory of him, much of which was drowned in red. Red for blood, for his sword, for his hair, for the flames that burned away at Beacon. Yang's eyes closed and she drew a deep breath, letting it go in one swift motion, her fear and anxiety not quite taken away with it, but lessened.

Once again her eyes fell to the cupboard to the side of her desk, within which lay the gift from General Ironwood and Atlas. Even though the door was closed, her eyes seemed to pierce through it and she almost imagined the cybernetic arm was on full display. Her arm burned again, as did her stomach. Yang bit her lip and tore her eyes away from it, only to find she couldn't.

There was nothing to do but wait. Wait until the fall of night and the moment to strike.

* * *

 **Big times ahead and an assault that kept feeling more like an X-Com moment than I really meant it to. COMMANDER, you are to infiltrate the alien base and eradicate it! Ah, good times. Of course, since I'm an old man I loved the first X-com more – back when the aliens actually felt like a threat since you took, like, sixteen men to deal with four, and fully expected some of yours to die on every mission.**

 **Anyway, utterly irrelevant!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **June (3 Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh, it's been a while since this updated.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 22**

* * *

Yang sat in the cramped APC as it trundled quietly through forests surrounding Vale. Her single hand rested in her lap and her eyes were fixed at the floor between her feet. No one spoke. No one needed to. The engine began to slow as Junior brought it to a gentle stop.

"This is as far as we can go without drawing attention."

Yang nodded and stood. "Everyone off. We're moving on foot, at least until we find what Vincent has to offer."

The rest of the squad disembarked, the chatter whispered. Junior closed the door gently and Roman's eyes scanned the surroundings, one hand on his cane. They were all of them cautious, as they should be given the circumstances. As silly as they all could be, this was no laughing matter. It was for that reason that they'd left Mark and Lisa behind, the two not combat capable enough for a task like this. If things went badly, they'd be trusted to bring news to Ozpin and, to a lesser extent, to Team RWBY, as well. News, perhaps, of her death.

"You don't have to do this, Yang," Qrow whispered, sliding up beside her. "We could talk to Ozpin and the Council. They could send in an army of huntsmen."

"And the White Fang will be long gone by then." Yang adjusted the mantle over her severed arm as her uncle cursed under his breath. "Someone has to do this, Uncle Qrow."

"I know that. I just wish it wasn't you."

"You and me both, but no one else will, or can," she added after a second's thought. Ironwood would have leapt at the chance for this, but he was too far away and his approach too obvious. The White Fang would see his battleships coming almost an hour before they arrived. They'd flee into the forests and the secret of the Fang Virus would be lost once and for all.

"Something ahead," Miltia called, voice still low but just audible enough for them to catch.

Yang and Qrow moved forward. "White Fang?" she asked.

"No. Whatever they are, they're not moving. Don't think it's people at all."

Yang nodded for Neo to move forward and the girl quickly wrapped herself in an illusion, disappearing from view. In the near silence of the late evening, her footsteps on fallen leaves were audible, but little else. A minute or two passed as she made her way forward. Yang and the others watched with bated breath, weapons drawn.

Neo flickered back into vision right beside the first object. She waved happily to them. "False alarm," Roman chuckled, putting his cane away.

The shadows were in fact objects covered with thick, camouflaged tarps weighed down at the corners. There was no telling how they'd made their way here, but the disturbed grass suggested they were a recent addition. Most of them were blocky and awkwardly shaped, while a large container – easily twenty metres or more in length and weighing several tonnes, rested to the side.

"What are the White Fang up to?" Junior wondered.

"Not the White Fang," Yang said, noticing a piece of white paper attached to the fabric. She snatched it off and read it. "This is from Vincent. These are the `gifts` he promised us. It says the access codes will be on my scroll. But I didn't-" Her scroll pinged. "Tch. Smartass."

She pulled out her scroll and tossed it to Roman, indicating with a quick point for him to check the containers. She, in turn, reached for the tarp on the object before her and dragged it off. The fabric fluttered in the wind as it was removed, revealing sleek, black metal and hard edges, reinforced plating and an intimidating array of bristling weaponry.

"That's not a civilian Bullhead," Qrow pointed out.

It wasn't. The kind Beacon used came with a single nose-mounted machine gun for protection against the Grimm, while this one had a machinegun on the front, two beneath, missile pods under the wings and an array of other deadly weapons. It was the kind of Bullhead the Atlas military might use, and yet the black paint, dark as night, didn't match Atlas at all. There were two other Bullheads behind it.

"Holy shit!" Miltia cried from the first container. "There are enough explosives here to level a city block." She came back out, a satchel charge in one hand, which he tossed in the air and caught with his other hand. "This isn't exactly standard police gear. I love it."

"Who is Vincent again?" Qrow asked casually. "Just remind me."

"A friend."

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we'd better hope so."

Qrow's whining was cut off as Roman got the final container open, the much larger one. The moment he put in the code, the sides fell apart, the slats on the top shifting back as the container unpacked itself before their eyes, leaving its contents exposed to the night air.

"Fuck my life," Mercury wheezed.

Well, they'd found their way in.

/-/

"Quiet night," a White Fang grunt remarked as he approached a fellow sentry.

"Makes up for the busy day. Can't believe we're up and dumping this place."

"It's served its purpose," the first said. "Adam wants us out as soon as possible. It's not our place to argue."

"Ha. I'm not that stupid. I'll be glad to see the back of this place. I don't trust being around that shit. What if it goes off and infects us?"

"You've got a gasmask, don't you?"

"Fat lot of good that's done some."

"Well, we won't have to worry about it any longer. Looks like they've got everything they want from- wait, do you hear that?" The two paused and listened intently. The night was quiet, with the chirping of insects and the occasional hoot of an owl. But beyond that, in the distance, there was a faint humming. A constant, growing hum.

"Is that... an engine?"

The noise increased in volume.

Three dark shapes were in the air and approaching fast. The first terrorist saw it at the last second and shouted a warning. He reached for the alarm but froze when something detached from the bottom of one of the shapes and whistled towards them. The brief flash of light was their only warning.

"Hit the deck!" the other yelled, tackling his fellow down.

The rooftop was bathed in flames a second later.

/-/

"I thought we were going to be subtle!" Qrow screamed over the sound of the engines, the gunfire and now the explosion that rocked the White Fang compound. It was a squat thing made of concrete and disguised as best it could be with foliage and camouflage netting, none of which stood a chance against the Bullhead's thermal sensors.

"We were, but only because it was the only option. It isn't anymore." Yang hung out the side of the Bullhead, her hand on the railing as she watched another missile strike the rooftop, blowing apart what little stood for defensive installations and cracking a hole in the concrete. "Junior, bring us in to land," she yelled. "Get the twins to loop around and clear out the top floor."

"Roger that," Junior said. He shouted something into his helmet and the two Bullheads on either side of them pulled away, dipping low and hovering beside the building. The sound of machine guns opening fire was punctuated with windows shattering and screams. Junior swept their Bullhead up and over it, bringing it to a rough stop a good twenty metres from the roof, much of which was still covered in fire and smoke.

Mercury kicked some ropes off the edge and let them coil down. He, Yang, Qrow and Neo were on them a moment later, spinning around as they descended to the rooftop. They could have jumped, but with how weak the roof was it wasn't worth the risk of falling through. Yang let go of her rope and gave Junior a thumbs up, followed with a wave for him to disengage.

The moment he did, a loud `whoosh` echoed in Yang's ears and a trail of smoke coiled up towards the Bullhead. It struck the flank, practically in the hold they'd just stood in, and exploded violently.

"Junior!"

The Bullhead listed to the left and spun. It pulled a three-sixty and then another, losing control and disappearing over the lip of the roof, crashing down into the forest below. One of the Malachites pulled her Bullhead into position and hosed the spot the rocket had come from with a barrage of missiles. The entire building shook.

"Damn it. Junior!" Yang made to run to the edge but Mercury caught her shoulder.

"Something like that won't do him in, boss. We need to keep moving."

"As much as I'd like to argue, he's right," Qrow said, attaching the gasmask to his face. There was no telling what was below. "If we waste any time, they'll get the Fang Virus out of here, or send the recipe on to another base. That's what we're here for. Right?"

Damn it. They were right. She spared one final look to where Junior had fallen and took solace in the fact there was no explosion. He was a slippery bastard. He'd be okay, she hoped. With her one hand, she pushed her gasmask up to her face, standing still while Qrow tightened it behind her. Through the visors she could see her three teammates nod back at her, each masked. Qrow, Mercury and Neo awaited her command.

"We work our way down and destroy everything," she rasped. "If we come across Adam, two of us keep him busy and the other two go deeper. Our objective is the Fang Virus or its recipe. The White Fang don't matter. Let's go."

The Malachites had ended their reign of terror on the top floor by the time they reached the staircase. The walls were riddled with bullets and splashed with blood, while bodies covered the floor, most dead, some alive and some crying out for help. The stench was sickening and the gasmasks did little for that. There was pity in her, she couldn't deny, but after everything they'd done and what they intended to do, she was able to put that aside.

"The twins will keep them distracted for now," she said, nodding to the smashed windows which let in the noise of the Bullheads ploughing the side of the building with missiles, gunfire and more. The White Fang must have been rushing out the entrance to try and shoot them down.

The next set of stairs flashed by and the floor below was empty. It was walled on all sides with no windows and so only a few bullets had come through. It looked like a training area, filled with bags, targets and other trash. The staircase ended there and Yang led her team to one of the nearby doors. She pressed her ear against it, looked back and held up two fingers. She pointed to Neo and Mercury, nodded to the door and stepped back.

Rather than open the door, Mercury hopped onto one foot and kicked it off its hinges. The door flew back, impacting the back wall and also someone who had been stood there with a weapon trained on it. The others in ambush, three in total, spared a moment to look toward their ally in shock. It cost them. Neo was on them a second later, all flashing lights and silvery blade dancing left and right. They had aura, but that meant little.

One heel came up to strike a forehead, while the leg twisted around the neck and unbalanced the faunus, driving him down. As Neo rode him, she caught the barrel of another's gun in one hand, dragging it off target as the faunus opened fire, rinsing the ceiling and little more. The one she'd pushed down cracked his head on the tiles and was forgotten. With the gun still in hand, Neo twisted acrobatically and slammed a heel into the back of the wielder's shin, earning a cry and knocking him down. Neo spun the weapon around and opened fire on the third, slamming him into the back wall as bullets tore into the man's untrained aura.

"Leave some for me next time," Mercury joked as the three of them hurried out. Qrow looked irritated, though not quite as queasy as Yang felt. He was used to this, even if he disapproved of the brutality.

"Flirt later," he said. His eyes scanned the corridor left and right. "This looks like lodging. I take it the labs must be further down."

"By the entrance, I'd guess," Yang said. "Or below. You wouldn't want the average person messing with anything, and if they needed to move it fast, it would be at or near ground level."

"Tch. Shame we couldn't go in the front entrance."

"We could have, but we'd have had to fight our way through every terrorist in the entire complex." Yang rushed down the corridor towards the marked staircase. This was easier, even if it meant a slightly longer run. If the White Fang were convinced they were under attack, they'd muster to defend it. The front entrance would be the first port of call.

Of course, that would only last so long as the twins could convince the White Fang the attack was legitimate. Which shouldn't be too hard, considering Vincent's little gift.

/-/

Roman took a long drag of his cigar and breathed out a cloud of smoke. It began to glow a pale green in the light reflected off the monitors in front of him, filling the small cockpit. He leaned back in the comfortable seat and let out a long, relaxed sigh.

A screen flickered.

"Hm?"

Information flashed across it, automatic systems detecting combat ahead – the sound of gunfire from a large vehicle – and triangulating it into a blip on the radar. It even managed to simulate obstructions around the vehicle itself, creating something akin to a rudimentary map or aerial view.

"Well, well, well, looks like the show is on the road." He laughed and leaned forward, hand settling around the joysticks. His other reached up to flick off some safety catches, flashing the cockpit red for a second before the commands were accepted. The seat rocked, the cockpit vibrating as the view through the screen in front of him moved forward. A large crash echoed as he knocked a tree aside.

And Neo had said learning how to use one of these was useless, especially after his fun the last time had been ruined, ironically by the very person who had now given him one of his own. It was funny how the world worked sometimes. A real hoot.

The White Fang froze as Roman burst from the treeline. Their weapons trained on him before many realised just how outgunned they were. Some began to scream, others raced for heavier equipment that could turn the tide. Roman puffed on his cigar, grinning like a madman. Just for the shits, he opened the main channel, broadcasting through the speakers.

"This is Roman Torchwick, VSPR. You have parked your terrorist base illegally. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a ticket."

A rocket-propelled grenade raced towards the cockpit. Before it reached, red lasers traced through the air, detonating it a metre or two away. Though the heat and the flames washed over the vehicle, it did little more than scorch the paint.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to count that as resisting arrest."

The shiny, black Paladin – replete with the VSPR's logo – levelled its canon at the main gates.

/-/

"Sir, we're under attack!"

"I can see that," Adam Taurus said. His blade was drawn and he ran a cloth down the length of it. "Why are you not at the front gate with your brothers and sisters?"

"B-But sir, they have a Paladin – and gunship support."

"We have a number of Bullheads ourselves."

"They were destroyed before they could get in the air."

"Then bring those Bullheads down," Adam spat, temper mounting. "We have enough equipment here to do that and more. Stop complaining to me when you know full well what must be done." He levelled his sword toward the masked man, causing him to back up nervously. "Or is it that you're hoping I will signal the retreat? Would you like to take your chances with the Grimm, who even now will be drawn to the disturbance?" He smiled. "Feel free. I will not stop you, _brother_."

The man was a coward, Adam could tell. Fear was present in all people, but only when one allowed it to dictate your actions did you become a coward. Fear he could accept, caution he could respect, but for a moment it seemed the faunus before him might tear off his mask and run crying into the night. He would not stain wilt with the blood of such a person.

"I-I'll fight," the faunus eventually said. The fear was evident in his voice, but Adam nodded. All he asked of his people were that they controlled it. "What about you, sir? What will you do?"

"I will fight here."

"Here?" the faunus looked around, confused. "B-But sir, the enemy is outside."

Adam smiled mysteriously. "And by my being here, I shall spare you from them both being without and within. Go now, lest you be dragged into something you cannot back away from."

The White Fang before him looked confused but nodded, accepting that while he did not understand, he did not need to. The man took a step back, turned, and ran for the staircase leading upwards, to the ground floor. What followed was a startled cry, a small explosion, and the sight of the same body collapsing back down the stairs, unconscious or dead.

"I suppose you weren't fast enough," Adam said, giving Wilt one last swipe before he threw the cloth away. He regarded the four that came down with keen eyes hidden behind a familiar mask. "The VSPR, I take it?" He recognised the silver-haired one and the one with multi-coloured hair, but not the others. "You can lose the masks. There is no gas to be set off here."

The one in the lead, the blonde, tore hers free. "Where is the Fang Virus, Adam?" She sounded angry, vehemently so, and he didn't miss how her eyes bore into his, nor how the hand extended to him clenched into a fist.

"Do I know you?"

"Don't play games!"

"Heh." He flicked Wilt to the side. "I don't play games, human, though I'll admit you look familiar."

"Yang, don't let him get to you," one of the others said, the taller one with the beard. They had each removed their masks now and Adam inspected them one at a time, gauging their strength. This one was a professional huntsman.

"I was at the battle of Beacon, you bastard!" the blonde howled. "I was there when you tried to kill Blake! You took my arm!"

It came back to him. How could it not? His lips peeled back at the mention of his beloved and he saw the girl for what she was. "Hmph, I see. Forgive me. I don't make it a habit to remember humans, let alone one that lasted less than a second against me." His eyes shifted beyond them. "Is she here?"

"No," Yang snapped, knowing exactly who he meant. "And you'll never see her again if I have my way. You're under arrest, Adam."

"You know what I will say to that, human," he said, pointing Wilt towards her. To his surprise, her lips twisted into a grin.

"Yeah, I do. I just wanted it on record I offered. That way when I kill you, no one can say I didn't at least try to bring you in." The girl looked to the side. "Uncle Qrow, back me up. Neo, Mercury, check this place out and try to find the Fang Virus."

"You sure?" Mercury asked. "He's a tough nut to crack."

"We'll be fine. Go."

Adam made no move to stop them. He merely smiled, allowing the two to split left and right. He kept his eyes on the girl, though he shifted his weight to present a stronger defence against the taller man, Blush pointed in his direction, ready to fire.

/-/

Why was the smug bastard just watching them, smiling? Why wasn't he trying to stop Neo and Mercury? Yang smelled the trap a mile off but couldn't tell what it was and couldn't do anything about it. They had to contain the Fang Virus here and now, no matter what surprises he had in store for them.

"Control your anger," Qrow whispered. "Let me be the main focus and you support." Yang was prepared to argue but her uncle's expression silenced her. He was deadly serious. This wasn't a time for grudges or revenge. It might have been before, that or justice, but now it was neither. It was just about making sure they had a home to come back to. It was about stopping the White Fang, whatever that entailed. Yang nodded.

"I'll follow your lead."

Qrow smiled and nodded – and then flashed forward. He was fast, incredibly so, yet Adam was, if not faster, at least Qrow's equal. His crimson blade came up in time to block Qrow's, and when Qrow fired at point blank range, Adam was able to step aside, diverting both the shots and the attack. He leapt back – directly into Yang's fist.

"Tch." Adam blocked it on his forearm and brought his sword around to cut her down, but Yang saw it coming and leapt back. When Qrow came in with a roar, Adam had to cancel the attack and turn back, barely parrying Qrow's blade. He was unprepared for when it clicked and whirred, shifting mid-fight as Qrow spun, a reckless manoeuvre that would have left anyone else open. Qrow was experienced, though. He shifted with it, bringing his weapon around mid-transformation and slamming it back into Adam's flank the second it was completed.

Adam skidded back a few feet, having only just brought up his shotgun-sheathe in time to block the blow that might have cut him in two. He regarded the scythe with a critical eye, taking a side-on stance with his long sword held straight out.

Yang and Qrow circled him, seeking to put him between them, while Adam matched their pace, keeping both before. Eventually he'd hit a wall and be out of options. He realised that the same moment she did and charged directly at Qrow. It might have seemed like the better option would be to go for the weaker one, but that was a trap. Adam couldn't afford to turn his back on Qrow. He could with her.

Even so, she made him pay for it. Ember Celica roared and the shots impacted his back, slamming into him and forcing him to stagger. Qrow took advantage with an upward swing but Adam leaned back, avoiding have his face split in two by less than an inch. He wasn't quite able to do the same for Qrow's fist, which crashed into his mask and caused it to split. Yang struck a second later, twisting in and slamming the heel of her boot down onto Adam's left shoulder. He grunted and fell to one knee, lashing out with his sword to drive Qrow back.

"Yang, get back!"

Qrow didn't need to warn her twice. She'd seen full well what hesitating in front of Adam cost you. Yang kicked off and sent a blast of dust into his face, little more than a distraction to keep him cutting her in two. He sheathed his blade and the blade glowed. Yang's eyes widened.

"YAH!" The blade cleared the sheathe before she could even touch down. Yang crossed one arm before her, tilting her body so that the wave of red light caught her on the shoulder and not the torso. Pain washed over her like hot water and she was flung back. She crashed into a desk by the back wall, splitting it in two and falling down in a shower of glass vials and paper. Her heart raced for a second, but there was no gas, no virus and no urge to kill. They were fighting in what looked like a research facility, but there were no subjects and no canisters to be seen.

Qrow and Adam were locked in a frantic melee, neither having the edge but both on the verge of it. Aura flared as their blades landed the odd cut. Yang checked her own and grimaced. That one attack had shaved off nearly a quarter. She felt like crap.

"Roman," she hissed, one hand on her earpiece. "How are things up above?"

" _Tough, boss,"_ he replied. _"They've managed some organised resistance and they brought down Miltia. She's on foot and I'm trying to cover her."_

"What about Junior?"

" _Grimm. He's okay, but we're not going to be able to hold forever."_

"Shit. Buy us a little more time. This won't take long."

" _I'll try."_

Not good. There would be no help coming for them, but there might be reinforcements for the White Fang, especially if Emerald and whatever remained of Cinder's organisation got involved. They had to end this quickly. Yang pushed herself up and staggered back to the fight, teeth gritted against the ringing in her skull.

He was a monster. Blake had called him strong, but deep inside Yang had always assumed she meant strong for his age, strong in context, or strong compared to them. None of those things were true. Adam Taurus was holding his own against the both of them and looked like he might be able to outlast her Uncle Qrow. If that happened, they'd both be killed, and the White Fang could detonate the Fang Virus over the city.

Yang charged in once more. His head tilted in her direction, sensing or hearing her. His sheathe barked and the buckshot caught her face. She forced herself through it, throwing a punch towards his throat. Adam stepped into it with a smirk, twisting his head at the last second, forcing it to sail harmlessly by.

She was over-extended.

Adam knew it. Qrow knew it. She knew it. The terrorist took advantage of the opening immediately, shouldering her arm high and dropping one hand low to grip his blade in a reverse grip. It tore away from Qrow, completing a full arch around his body as it rushed in for her right-hand side. Her unprotected side.

"Die!" Adam hissed, slashing at her throat.

The sound of metal striking metal echoed across the fight. Adam's mouth opened in shock, even as Yang's face – initially filled with fear – slipped into a cheeky grin. The mantle she'd worn over her side, once to hide her disability from view, fluttered down where Adam had cut it, revealing a new limb of bright, silvery steel. Adam's blade had struck the wrist, cutting into it but going no further.

"Surprise, asshole." Yang snapped out and clamped her metallic hand down on the blade, queasy at how wrong that felt. "QROW, NOW!"

Her uncle tore into Adam while his blade was trapped. He tried to use his sheathe to block, and managed it to a degree, but Qrow was having none of it. The first two blows were expertly avoided, but the third cut through, and the fourth. Qrow cut huge holes in the bastard's aura, and by the time Adam had recovered enough to pull his sword out of her hand, he was breathing harshly and his mask had shattered. He might have been handsome, were it not for the hate on his face.

Yang waved her new arm and looked at the palm, wincing at the deep cut there. Even with a metal hand, he'd cut through part of it, but Adam hadn't come out unscathed. Apart from the damage Qrow had done, the faunus' sword was dulled where it had scraped against metal. The cutting edge was badly damaged.

"So, you threw away your humanity," he spat. "Fitting, I suppose. Keep going and you might be worth a single faunus."

"I didn't throw away anything," Yang replied. "I'm just doing what I have to." No matter how much she'd been against it or how much it felt like she was turning her back on Beacon. This was a part of her now, and she sure as hell wasn't going to risk everyone's life by letting her ego get in the way. Not this time.

"The scarecrow and the tin woman. I suppose that makes me the lion. Don't expect me to be running away anytime soon, though. If you think this is over, you're in for a big surprise."

"Captain!" a voice cried. Mercury came running back, Neo hot on his heels. "There's nothing here. The Fang, the recipe, it's all gone! The place has been cleaned out."

Shit. Yang glared at Adam, noting his smirk.

"It gets worse, though. We saw canisters for more of them. There were barely any left, but it was enough to get an idea of what's going on. They're making explosive canisters. Yang, there has to be _hundreds_ of them!"

"A hundred and fifty-six, actually," Adam said, laughing.

"You son of a bitch! Where are they?"

"Why don't you take a guess, _captain_. It's not too hard to figure out."

Vale. He'd sent them off to Vale. No wonder Emerald wasn't here. She had everything she wanted from the White Fang and much like Cinder was now abandoning them. Adam was just getting out because it was job done, because he didn't want his men near Vale when the disaster hit, or maybe because he wanted to bring more of his fellows to attack the city when it was brought low.

And it would be. If everyone in Vale went mad, it would be a disaster, no matter how many woke up after the Virus had run its course. People would be slaughtered, the infrastructure badly damaged, and gods forbid huntsmen and huntresses were affected. They might be able to bring down the city on their own. Yang's eyes burned.

"You won't be around to celebrate, you bastard," she hissed. "Mercury, Neo, help us kill this monster. Then we'll go back to Vale and finish this once and for all."

"I think you'll find it won't be that easy," Adam said.

Yang faced him with a raised eyebrow. He was half-way done now thanks to Qrow, and with Neo and Mercury alongside them, he wouldn't stand a chance. Still, his confidence made her pause. His laughter didn't help. Reaching behind him, Adam pulled out a strange, thin canister. Yang's hand flew to her gasmask immediately, prepared to put it back on if he dropped it.

But to her shock, he flipped the end off, revealing a needle. He drove it into his thigh with a grunt, gritting his teeth as the green liquid within worked its way into his bloodstream. Yang shook her head, shocked, or maybe just disappointed. She couldn't tell.

"You damn fool."

"I told her I would take away everything she loved. I warned her what would happen if she stayed. Here and now, I'll make those words a reality." His eyes became heavy, foggy. His lips parted and his breath came out in a thick mist. The wounds that had bowed him, the exhaustion that plagued him, even his diminished aura, all ceased to matter. He stood taller, as if they didn't exist. Or rather, they did, but he could no longer perceive them. He could not perceive anything.

With an animalistic howl, the madman leapt for her throat.

* * *

 **Welp. The attack is mid-flow but the enemy are already on the move. Can Yang best beast-Adam and get back to Vale in time to make a difference?**

 **Only time will tell. Fourteen days, specifically.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**The tale continues!**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 23**

* * *

"Shit!"

Yang rolled away as Adam hurtled toward her. She clipped her shoulder on the floor and yelped as the faunus turned with wild eyes and dove on top of her. She managed to get her feet on his chest and kick him back. Mercury rushed in to knock him away from her while Qrow dragged her back onto her feet.

Mercury drew Adam back, using the terrorist's madness against him – luring him in so that his flank was exposed. Neo took advantage with a manic grin, sliding in and thrusting her blade toward his kidney. The tip skittered off Adam's aura for a moment before his control – shot by the Fang Virus – wavered, and the thin steel drew blood.

Adam's hand latched around the sword a second later, heedless of how it cut into his hand. The faunus turned with a snarl, no sign of pain nor even a stagger. He slashed back, and would have taken Neo's head off entirely had she not dropped her weapon and fell to the floor, scrambling away with wide eyes.

In the same motion, Mercury attacked from the front, using the moment's distraction to power a foot into Adam's sternum. The air was blown from him but he still managed to somehow grip Mercury's foot with his free hand, drawing it up and biting down with reckless abandon.

Adam howled as his teeth struck metal, and Mercury dragged his leg away with a startled yelp.

"Don't let him bite you!" Yang shouted, eyes suddenly very, very wide. "You'll be infected if he does!"

"He's not feeling anything we do!" Mercury fired back. He ducked under the crimson blade and struck back with a roundhouse kick, aiming for Adam's elbows. He struck higher, and the blow would have staggered any normal person. Adam, however, ignored it entirely and reversed his sword, drawing it back under Mercury's legs and cutting into his tendon. It must have caught Mercury by surprise because he wasn't able to get his aura up in time. "Argh! Shit!"

"I've got him," Qrow hissed, diving in to push Adam back.

"Neo, help him!" Yang roared, catching Mercury and helping him to stand. The diminutive girl nodded and sped back into action, sliding on the floor momentarily to grab her sword. She crashed into Adam's flank a second later, instantly drawing blood and creating an opening for her uncle Qrow, who took advantage of it with a solid punch to Adam's jaw, his weapon already locked with Adam's.

Despite the fist in his face and the sword that had just cut beneath his ribs, Adam managed to stay standing. He abandoned the blade lock, actually letting Qrow's scythe cut into his shoulder, to turn and grab Neo's wrist, holding her in place as his sword swept up.

Qrow cursed and dropped his own weapon, leaving it lodged in Adam's shoulder. He dove at the long, red sword and grappled Adam's wrist with both hands, dragging him down to the floor before he could cut Neo in two.

"He doesn't feel anything," Mercury said with a wince. "The bastard is more a wild animal then a person right now, but he's shrugging off everything we throw at him."

That was probably Adam's plan. Using Fang in a fight was a bad idea since it left you a berserker at best. He'd already taken numerous wounds he could have avoided if he'd been in his right mind, but that was the point. Adam couldn't win in his right mind, not four against one. If he was screwed anyway, he might as well try to delay them longer and maybe take one out. Fang would let him do that, not by granting him any real endurance, but by shutting down his senses so that he couldn't feel what happened to him.

And if Adam managed to infect even _one_ of them, the fight might well be over. Sure, he'd probably be killed as well, but when the other option was him _definitely_ being killed, taking the Fang made sense. If he somehow won, he'd wake up with nothing more than a headache like most other Fang victims. If he lost… well, at least he wouldn't have to experience his own death.

Yang gritted her teeth. She didn't _want_ him dead. She wanted him captured. She wanted him to stand trial for what he'd done. She wanted him to go down for the rest of his life – maybe literally in the showers. Death would be an escape for him. He'd become a martyr. And then there was what information he had on the White Fang, and where Emerald had taken the rest of the Virus.

Damn it. Taking him alive was going to be next to impossible like this.

"Can you move?" she asked Mercury.

"Yeah, but I can't fight." He tried to put weight on his right leg and faltered, catching himself on the wall. For a guy who relied on his feet, a cut to the back of the leg could be devastating. He might be hamstrung.

"Get up top and help the others. The three of us should be able to deal with him. Tell them what's going on, and tell them to get back to Vale. Find those canisters and do whatever you have to. Take them out. Go!"

Mercury nodded. "Got it, Captain."

Yang watched him stagger away before she leapt back into the fight. Adam was focused on Neo, maybe because of her size and speed. She had no idea what might spark a Fang-infected person's attention. The moment _she_ got into the fight, however, that changed. Adam's eyes lit up at the sight of her and Yang barely deflected his sword from piercing through her left eye. His body struck hers a moment later, all his weight hurled at her. His teeth rushed in but she forced her new hand into his mouth and grinned when his teeth cracked on metal.

"Not on the first date, bucko." Yang cupped her other hand and clapped it down over his ear. If she couldn't hurt him, she could at least mess with his balance. The force of the blow, and the air pressure, ruptured his ear drum immediately. A knee found its way into her stomach and she grunted, tripping with him on top of her.

He was only there for a second. Qrow drove a foot into his side and _pushed_ , rolling the madman off her. Neo was there with her sword gripped between two small hands, a scowl on her face as she stabbed down. Adam rolled. The blade struck his side and scored a deep wound into his back as he rolled away, toward Qrow. The huntsman was forced to duck back lest Adam bite into his ankle or something.

"He just won't stay down," Qrow growled. "He can't fight for beans, but this kind of stamina is a joke." He parried Adam's thrust as the faunus rolled to his feet and lunged in, twisted the blade aside, blocked a bite with the hilt of his scythe, and then _head-butted_ Adam away. Yang struck from behind and drove a fist right into his back, to the right of the spine – a low blow that would have cut down even the biggest of men. With the force involved and the fact Adam was too far gone to properly use his aura, she was sure she'd ruptured something inside of him.

Adam's reaction was to tear away from Qrow and try to cut her in two. His movements were a little more sluggish, but no less powerful for it. Yang barely got her robotic arm in the way in time and winced at the nasty squeal it made as the blade cut into the wrist.

The Fang Virus was perfect for the White Fang, not just for the made-up name but the fact that it might have given their grunts exactly what they needed. It wiped away someone's intelligence, but that didn't mean much when most White Fang grunts didn't have training or aura. They could be the smartest kid on the block, but it wouldn't mean anything when they physically couldn't stand up to the dumbest huntsman.

Intense training might have gotten past that, but the White Fang didn't have time. They needed soldiers immediately, and they needed soldiers who weren't afraid to die for the cause. Fang provided that handily. It was easy to imagine a world where the Virus in its gaseous form had been ignored and the White Fang instead used it to boost their own troops. Things would have been just as bad, especially when they could infect anyone else they bit.

 _Or bled on_ , Yang realised suddenly. Adam was being cut to ribbons but if his _blood_ was infected…

"Wait, wait, back away!" Yang howled.

Adam was swinging his sword around while spraying blood like a fountain. A single cut, and then some of his in the wound, and all of a sudden they might have Uncle Qrow cutting them to ribbons. Or Neo.

"What's wrong?" Qrow asked. He tried to follow the sudden order but Adam charged after him, swinging madly. The older huntsman managed to catch the sword on his scythe and twist it to the side, tripping Adam over some tables and sending him crashing on the other side.

"Did he cut you?" Yang asked. She waved Neo over, too. "He's trying to get us infected with the Fang Virus."

"Blood in the wound," Qrow realised quickly. "Does it infect that quickly?"

"It took a while when Weiss bit me, but she was hit by the gas. He stuck Fang straight into his bloodstream. I'm no doctor, but he didn't _need_ to do that if they already had gas. He planned this before the fight started. He knew he couldn't face us four to one."

"Clever bastard. But we can't avoid him forever." Adam was rising at that moment, eyes locking onto theirs. His lips parted and he let out a desperate gasp. He was covered in blood, all of it potentially poisonous.

"Go and help the others," Yang advised. "I'll engage."

"You're just as much at risk!"

"I wiped it from my system once. I can do it again now that I know how." She thought so, anyway. Hoped so. Activating her Semblance, Yang's eyes flashed red and her body began to heat up. If she kept it hot as she fought, it might be enough to stop the Virus affecting her at all. "A good blow to the back of the head was enough to knock Weiss out."

"You think you can do that here, on your own?"

Yang nodded. "He took Fang to take away our advantage of numbers. But now he's just a slavering beast. Any edge in skill he had over me is gone." With a grin, she slammed her good hand into her new one, creating a flash of aura. A vicious grin stole across her face.

"Now? Well… I think it's time for payback."

Qrow looked like he might argue. He obviously really wanted to. She met his gaze, trying to explain her reasoning with her eyes, or just to let him see that this wasn't bravado. It wasn't foolishness, pride of revenge. It was about doing the best they could do, and about cutting down any risk to Vale.

"Get hold of Ozpin, Qrow. Get everyone you can. If Emerald is about to hit Vale, we can't waste time here."

"You'll be okay?"

"I promise, Uncle Qrow."

He nodded. "Right. I'm trusting you here, Firecracker. Don't you dare let me down." A step back. An angry glare toward Adam, and then he turned away, running back to the staircase with Neo in hot pursuit. Yang watched him go, grateful that he hadn't stopped to argue.

When Adam made to cut them off, Yang stepped into his path and backhanded him across the face.

"Now, now," she drawled. "You and I have some unfinished business to work out."

/-/

Roman frowned at the lack of an ash tray inside the Paladin as he spat out the stub of his cigar. Seriously, Atlas was known for not allowing fun in any way, but was he really supposed to believe no one over there smoked?

His attention was caught by an explosion going off in front of him, the rocket once more shredded by the system's automated defence lasers. _You know, for a Kingdom that claims they're making their toys to fight against the Grimm and not other Kingdoms, this thing sure has a lot of anti-military weapons._

Well, unless Atlas had been hit by a lot of RPG-toting Grimm lately. Roman was fairly sure he'd have heard about that.

"It didn't work the last ten times," he called over the speakers, bringing the main weapon to focus on those shooting him. "What made you think it would work the _eleventh_ time?"

He didn't get much of a response on account of his weapons turning them into piles of ash and smoke. Atlas weaponry didn't mess around, and they _were_ trying to kill him. It was justice or something. Maybe. Hard to tell, really.

" _Heads up, we're coming out!"_ Mercury yelled over the intercom. _"Cover us!"_

" _Cover you from what?"_ Miltia asked sarcastically. _"Pretty sure we've killed everything."_

" _Oh…"_

Mercury, Neo and the walking alcoholic came barrelling out of the White Fang base's entrance, Mercury limping somewhat. Yang wasn't with them so Roman reached up to click the intercom. "Looks like you've forgotten someone. Where's the boss?"

" _Inside and still fighting Taurus."_

"And you just left her!?"

" _It's her orders. Look, there's no time. Emerald took the Fang Virus – she's planning to set it all off in Vale."_

Roman cursed, and echoing gasps came from the twins. Perfect. This was just perfect – and chances were even if they contacted the Council, the fossils either wouldn't believe them or would want to `limit panic` and not let the information get out. They didn't realise Emerald wasn't looking to make demands.

" _Captain told us to get back, find them and fix this."_

" _Junior is injured,"_ Melanie reported. _"I've been circling him for a while. He's alive, but his leg is twisted from the crash and he's got some pretty savage cuts. He's not going to be able to walk, let alone fight."_

" _For fuck's sake,"_ Mercury growled.

It would have been the perfect time for Yang to cut in with some harshly bitten orders and a warning for them all to stop whining. Roman found himself waiting for it, even as he realised it wouldn't happen. That probably meant it was his job. No one had ever spoken of seconds in command, leats of all Yang, but they all sort of listened to him as the oldest.

"Alright, Melanie, I want you to take Junior back to base and get Mark to patch him up. While you're there, see if Lisa can't do something with her old contacts to get the news out about the Fang Virus, at least to the police departments. Miltia, you take Merc and the huntsman back into Vale. Do what you can to find Emerald and stop her."

" _What about you?"_ Miltia asked.

"Someone has to stay behind and give the boss a lift back."

/-/

Lisa Lavender slammed her scroll down on the table and let out an angry shriek.

"No good?" Mark asked, poking his head out from the hallway. He had several white towels in hand, no doubt for the injured Junior they knew was returning. He'd been gathering supplies to treat him since the call came in.

"The Council have said they will `look into` the information," Lisa spat. "Which means it'll be an inquiry set up once they find a neutral board to chair it, then provide evidence, then discuss, then mull over it, the whole fucking works."

"But no action."

"No action," she confirmed. "Those bloody idiots!" Lisa smacked her fist down on the table for emphasis, and winced when it bruised painfully. Damn it. Everyone else had aura and training but her. It sucked that they could punch walls when they were angry and walk away with nothing more than plaster on their knuckles.

"Maybe they want to prevent any panic."

"Won't make much of a difference if the Fang Virus is set out over the city. Might want to keep a gas mask on you…"

"Way ahead of you." Mark patted the mask attached to his hip. "You tried calling the other precincts? Even if the Council won't act, they might do something."

"Worth a shot," Lisa mumbled, dialling a number after checking the call board at the back of the lobby. It had a list of the other precincts and their direct lines. Vale Central was the top one and the most important. She dialled that first, and was quickly connected through to the most senior officer.

" _Captain Redcliffe,"_ the man answered.

Lisa paused. "Where is Mira Ash?"

" _The Director is currently in a meeting with the Council. I am the highest ranking officer here and this is a direct line. May I ask who is calling?"_

"Lisa Lavender, VSPR. We have a situation-"

" _Oh, the VSPR?"_ Redcliffe laughed. _"And it's the runaway reporter herself, hm? Don't tell me you're calling to waste my time. Or is it that you're prepared to turn yourself in and face your crimes?"_

"What? I didn't _commit_ any crimes." The voice was familiar, gratingly so. She realised at the last second who it was. The officer who had tried to arrest her and whose nose Yang had broken. Captain Christopher Redcliffe.

" _Assault of an officer. Resisting arrest. Sedition. Need I go on?"_

"Look, that's not important. We've just received news that the White Fang have smuggled Fang Virus into the city and are prepared to detonate it. We need-" Lisa's eyes widened.

The line had gone dead.

"That son of a bitch," she growled, checking the board again. She dialled a different number, a different precinct, but was faced only with a single, dull tone. Nervously, she tried a third – and when that failed, her mother's scroll.

The same tone. There was no signal. Redcliffe hadn't hung up on her. _Her_ line had been cut off.

The front door to the precinct opened. Two men walked in, dressed in full black with bullet proof vests, masked helmets and guns in hand. They weren't White Fang, but heavily armed police, specifically the kinds of teams one might send into a hostage situation. Lisa backed away toward the door leading to the central corridor, one hand touching the handgun holstered on her hip. The scant training Junior and Mercury forced on her felt very insignificant right now.

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Lisa Lavender," the one in the lead said. "We are here to speak to Captain Xiao-Long of the VSPR. Inform her to come immediately."

"I can't. She's on a mission."

The two exchanged looks. Outside the main windows, Lisa saw more figures in black running around the complex, and three vans pull up outside. They were unmarked, and though the people wore the uniforms of the police, she noticed that their badges were absent.

"You are to surrender your arms and submit to us," the man in charge said.

"On whose orders?"

"The Council's orders. The VSPR is to be disbanded immediately. Refusal to comply will lead to lawful arrest."

Lisa's other hand gripped the door handle behind her. "Can I see a warrant for that?"

"The orders come directly from a member of the Council of Vale."

"Which one?"

"I do not have to answer that."

Or more like he chose not to. Lisa had already gotten the latch open now and was in front of the door, taking a deep breath. "I'll still need to see a warrant. Without explicit orders, the VSPR will not close down or surrender any of its material."

The two in front of her exchanged another glance, followed by a quick nod. Lisa saw the woman's thumb ghost over the safety, flicking it off.

Lisa was through the door a second later. She slammed it shut and snapped the lock into place. A gunshot tore through it by her head, close enough that she felt several strands of hair part. She fell low with a shriek and drew her own weapon. It was small and weak, as was she.

"What the fuck is going on?" Mark howled from further down the corridor.

"We're under attack! Call for help!"

"I can't. My signal is totally blocked!"

Shit, shit and double shit. Two more rounds pierced through the door and several explosions out front told her more were breaching and entering – and likely would be all across the complex. Her eyes caught a fire alarm nearby and she rammed the butt of her handgun into the glass, shattering it. A piercing wail and a constant ringing echoed through the building. If they were lucky, someone nearby would hear it and alert…

Alert who? The Police, the Council…?

"Fuck."

"We've got people coming back," Mark said. He grasped her arm and tugged her down the corridor, away from the door that was even now being broken through. "We just need to hold out. Buy time."

"I-I'm not a fighter!" Lisa gasped. "I don't know how to do any of this."

"Neither am I, but we're both dead if they find us. You think they're going to want witnesses and evidence?"

No. They already had proof the VSPR had resisted arrest. Anything else could be thrown as them fighting back, and the less people alive to talk about this, the less of a clean up the Council would need to go through. Or whomever ordered this, anyway. It couldn't have been the full Council because she'd only talked to one of them a few minutes ago. For these guys to get here so fast would be impossible.

 _Which means someone on the Council wants us dead. They wanted us dead when the others went out for the White Fang base. There's a traitor on the Council._

Lisa only snapped out of her panic when Mark pushed her back against a wall, propping her up outside the storage room. He nervously entered the code and the door slid open, revealing rows on rows of weapons the VSPR had collected, most of which had been taken from the White Fang who attacked before. Yang called it evidence, but it really had more of a `spoils of war` feel to it, especially when Mercury took all the `monetary evidence` and bought takeout and booze for the whole squad.

A large, bulky gun was pushed into her hands, and a bandolier of grenades placed on top.

Lisa whimpered nervously.

/-/

Ruby crashed through the door and out into the courtyard, Crescent Rose in one hand, her hood in the other, still being pulled on over her uniform which she just hadn't had the time to get out of. The courtyard outside of Beacon was a mess, not just from everything still being repaired, but now because it milled with students, all pretending they were queuing for the all-too-few Bullheads on offer. In truth, people pushed to and fro, trying to get in sooner.

Everyone had friends in Vale. Some people had family.

"Ruby!" Weiss gasped, finally coming out the door with Blake hot on her heels. "D-Damn it, Ruby. Wait for us! Not everyone can run as fast as you."

"I couldn't wait. I-" Ruby cut off as Miss Goodwitch hurried by, pushing something into her hand and then throwing one to Blake and Weiss each. It was a package containing a black mask with round, glass eyes.

"In case the gas goes off," Weiss hissed, already tearing hers open. "No one can afford for us to become victims of the Fang Virus. Ruby, make sure yours fits now. We can adjust if we have to, but we won't have time once we're out there."

Ruby nodded distractedly but did as asked, pulling it out and trying to fit it. To no one's surprise it was too big, but the one-size-fits-all started to feel a little more comfortable once Blake came behind her and adjusted the straps. Breathing through it was hard, but not too much so.

"Do you think Yang is okay?" Ruby whispered.

"I'm sure she's fine," Weiss said. "You know as well as I she's no idiot. I bet this warning was her doing. She always seems to be in the thick of it."

That didn't do much to calm Ruby down, especially when Yang wasn't returning her messages. She was too scared to call, terrified that she might distract her sister at an important moment and get her killed. _Please be okay, Yang. Please be safe._

"Next group up!" a pilot called, hanging out the side of a Bullhead. "Come on, come on. No more than eight people. Get in and strap in."

Ruby was there instantly, sliding under someone's arm and hopping in with the use of her Semblance. The team that had been about to enter paused in surprise, and that cost them, for Blake and Weiss slipped by a second later, filling the seats opposite Team CRDL, who had already claimed their place.

"Rose," he grunted a rushed greeting.

"Winchester," she returned. She'd never liked him and he didn't like her, but right now they both clutched their weapons with white fingers. A gasmask hung around his neck and he looked ready to kill anyone in his path.

"Doors closing," the pilot called, preventing any more from getting in. "Take off as soon as I can. Don't piss around back there."

"We're good to go!" Sky called.

The engines roared to life a second later and the craft lurched upward, far more roughly than they were used to. They rattled about the interior, kept seated only by the thick straps that linked above and around their shoulders, down across their chests in an X-shape.

"I'm dropping you off Southern Vale," the pilot shouted over the intercom. "Your target spots have been forwarded to your scrolls by the headmaster. Secure them. If you find White Fang, neutralise. If you don't, spread out and look for some. We're working on very limited information here."

"South Vale is where Yang's HQ is," Ruby whispered.

"We have to take our designated point," Weiss hissed.

"You and Blake can do that. Yang might know more about what's going on. I'm the fastest. I can get there and find out."

After a second's thought, Weiss nodded.

The Bullhead tore away in the direction of Vale.

/-/

"Ozpin knows what's going on," Qrow said, bringing his scroll down. "He's raised the alarm and mobilised the school to help. He'll have the emergency services going as soon as he gets hold of them."

"Is that wise?" Mercury asked. "We really want huntsmen hopped up on Fang, too?"

"They'll know what they're getting into and be prepared. Ozpin knows fire can fight the gas and he can get masks to the others if he has to. Better we have people capable of taking down infected civilians without killing them."

"Fair," Mercury allowed, shifting nervously on his seat. The wait was killing him, least of all because Miltia had to follow protocols for flying back into the city and the people there weren't giving them the haste they needed. His feet tapped on the metal floor in obvious agitation. The longer they waited the worst this would get.

"She was your partner, right?" Miltia called.

"Yeah, though we weren't close. She was obsessed with Cinder, obsessed with following her orders, proving she was a good subordinate and all that. We had banter, but I always knew she'd stab me in the back the second Cinder asked her to."

It hadn't stopped him working with them, and Mercury was honest enough with himself to say it hadn't entirely been fear that kept him on board. There had been that; you didn't just try to run out on Cinder Fall. But it was a secondary thing. He could have gotten out if he wanted to.

He just hadn't.

Maybe it was the fact he was a dick, or maybe he wanted to get back at society after no one did a damn thing about his old man. Hard to tell, really. He'd just gone with the flow, even if it meant killing people who probably didn't deserve it. Life was cheap like that.

"We've got no idea where these canisters are," Qrow said. "They could be all over Vale right now and there are just three of us. Where do we start?"

"It's got to be somewhere populated," Mercury pointed out. "Thing is, Emerald is strong, but the White Fang aren't, and carrying around barrels with bombs on them isn't exactly subtle. There's a lot of places they wouldn't be able to get the canisters to."

"The walls," Qrow said, nodding. "It would be good for them if they could wash it in from atop the walls, but there's no way they could get up there without being seen and dealt with."

"Yeah. Beacon is out, too. It's too far away for the gas to reach anywhere and not even Emerald could get in there after Ozpin beefed up security. She wouldn't waste time trying."

"So, it'll be somewhere in the city, densely populated and with plenty of people to hit. That doesn't narrow it down much, kid. Anything else?"

Mercury grimaced. "Yeah. The boss said Emerald dug up Cinder. Now, I know for a fact she was deader than a doornail, and there's no chance Emerald is going to be able to bring her back. Which means she dug her up for _another_ reason."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Meaning…?"

"Emerald is gonna be some place high up. Somewhere with a good view…"

/-/

"This is it, ma'am," Emerald whispered, voice haggard, eyes rimmed with red and shadowed from lack of sleep. She knelt behind a chair propped up by large windows looking out over the city, out over the fools below, who even now lived their lives with no knowledge of what was coming.

Around and behind the chair lay bodies, those of the people who had dared to stand in her way. They weren't trained and put up no real fight against her, but they'd dared to question her – to question Cinder – and for that reason, they'd died.

Emerald went silent, listening intently. She nodded a moment later.

"Y-Yes, ma'am. Cinder. I've made sure everything is in order. I've done everything you asked of me." She pressed her head to the floor. Tears leaked from her eyes as a smile blossomed across her face. "R-Really? I've pleased you? I'm- Thank you, ma'am. I promised never to let you down. I never will."

A loud buzzing echoed through her ears as a black Bullhead shot by the building, circled and then began to descend. They'd found her, then. Adam had failed.

Just like he had the last time. He'd failed Cinder at Beacon. If he'd been stronger, the silver-eyed _bitch_ wouldn't have been able to interfere and k- a-and injure Cinder. "Ugh!" Emerald clutched her head as tears poured down her cheeks. Everything hurt so much. Emerald pressed her forehead to Cinder's fingers, shivering slightly at how cold and rough they felt.

"I changed the recipe," she whispered, "Just like you told me to. They have no idea, those stupid animals. It serves them right for letting you down in Beacon. I made the Virus even more special, more powerful."

Rising, she kept her eyes low, deferential.

"You just stay there and watch, Cinder. I'll do all the hard work. I promise. Just… Just watch me. I'll make you proud."

Cinder didn't reply.

Her empty eyes looked out over the city.

/-/

"Get knocked out already," Yang growled. She had one robotic fist in Adam's mouth and the other on his wrist. She fired Ember Celica three times into his arm, shearing through skin, muscle and bone until he dropped his sword, which she knocked away with another well-aimed blast. It skittered to the other end of the room.

It didn't stop him biting down on her shoulder, or her roaring in pain. She felt it begin to itch immediately and her anger come to the fore. Pushing past it, she flooded her body with aura until her hair began to glow and steam rose from her skin.

She couldn't feel the Virus being burned out of her, but she could _feel_ the rage die away, replaced with euphoria and a desperate desire to laugh in Adam's face. She did so, grinning like a loon even as he tried to take a chunk out of her shoulder.

"Always knew you were an edgy bastard. Don't tell me Blake convinced you to try and cosplay a horny vampire. Get it?" she hinted, grinning. "Because of your horns?"

Adam hissed and tried to scratch her eyes out.

She tugged her head aside and rolled over, pinning him down. "Sheesh. Tough crowd."

Adam's badly injured wrist was shoved into her face, spilling blood all over her. Yang kept her Semblance going, burning it away as she slammed one fist into his face and then the other. He could ignore the pain, but he could barely use his aura, which meant sooner or later something would give. His nose cracked with a satisfying crunch, spurting blood down his chin.

"You took _everything_ from me," Yang howled. "My arm. My place in Beacon. My pride. My self-respect. My _fucking_ team." She punctuated each with another blow, golden locks spilling before her eyes. "But do you know what you didn't take? You didn't take my life!" Another blow snapped his head to the side. "And I'm about to show you just how much of a mistake _that_ was!"

Yang linked both fists above her head, one organic, one robotic, and brought them down with a sickening crack. Adam went still.

Applause welcomed her, drawing her fevered gaze from Adam to the stairs, where Roman stood with his cane dangling from one wrist, leaning on a wall and clapping.

"What are you doing here? I told you to go back to Vale."

"The others did," Roman said. "I figured you'd need a lift, unless you've learned how to fly a Bullhead in the last twenty minutes." He nodded to Adam. "Good work there. We bringing him back with us?"

"We are," Yang said, falling on her ass with a long sigh.

It was done. She'd finally done it.

And Gods, did it feel good.

"After all the nightmares this bastard gave me, I want to see him locked behind bars for the rest of his life. I want to be there in the courtroom, smiling at him as I give evidence. I want it, and I'll tell you now, I'm _having_ it."

Roman laughed and puffed on a cigar. "Remind me never to cross you again."

"You could get rid of me now and escape," Yang said. "I'm too tired to stop you."

"And put up with your sister's whining? I think not." Roman held out a hand. Yang took it and he drew her up with a grunt. "Come on. I'll carry the idiot back up top. You can find something to tie him up with."

"Sure, I'll-"

A splutter from behind cut her off. Yang whirled, fists coming up. He was _still_ up and about? Impossible! Except that he wasn't. Her eyes widened when she realised Adam was moving, perhaps awake, but no threat. His entire body was shaking, convulsing, and his eyes were wide. The noise came from his mouth, where blood and saliva bubbled out as he choked.

His arms lashed out as she approached, forcing her back. His entire body went stiff and twisted, almost bending double before he twitched again and gasped, spitting blood everywhere. Adam lurched up one final time, almost sitting without assistance.

And then fell.

Yang's eyes were wide. "Is he…?"

Roman pushed by, knelt and touched the man's neck, careful not to get any blood on him and with Melodic Cudgel prepared, just in case it was a trick. Yang watched with baited breath. Roman shook his head.

"Dead. He had a fit. I… I think his heart just exploded."

"I didn't do that," Yang denied, shaking her head. "And the Fang Virus doesn't do that! It doesn't turn people berserk and then _kill_ them."

Roman looked up to her, now very worried.

"Looks like it does now…"

* * *

 **Welp. The whole city is on the move now, and in a range of different directions. Logistical nightmare, I choose you! Oh, and Emerald continues to have the most diverse range of situations across my fics, lol. No idea why.**

 **Adam is crunked. Shame, since forcing him into prison would have been nice, but you play with fire, you get burned.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17th July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, I noticed some confusion last chapter because people thought it was the VSS attacking the VSPR HQ. I can assure you it's not. I tried to make their uniforms noticeably different, but I guess it was the "black masks" that tripped me up. I meant more like riot masks, black helmets with clear visors, sort of deal. My bad.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 24**

* * *

Ominous sirens washed out over the city. Pedestrians paused and looked to the sky, not recognising the long, low tone, or what it meant. It had been years since the sirens had been used and few knew what to do. A crack of distant gunfire pierced the air. People screamed, others froze and yet more threw themselves to the floor in panic.

Not a moment later, a Bullhead buzzed by overhead, flying the crest of Beacon and homing in on the disturbance. Several more whooshed by, penetrating deeper into the city. The sky was filled with them and the sirens droned on.

Once more, the city was under attack.

Ruby clung to the seatbelt keeping her locked into her seat, even as the door to the left of them slid open, blasting wind and noise inside. Their bullhead had peeled off from its destination the moment gunfire had been reported. She could hear it now, and her fingers gripped onto her weapon tightly as the pilot's voice filtered through the speakers behind each seat.

"Reported altercation at HR60 Accountants Office, South Vale. White Fang on scene, armed and killing any who stand in their way." Ruby saw Blake's lips twist into a thin line. "Objective is to clear them out, locate Fang canisters and destroy. Be advised, Fang Virus is on the scene."

There were gasps from each at that, followed by the shuffle of gas masks being pulled into place. Ruby's hearing was muted the moment hers came on, and it took her eyes a second or two to adjust to the lower light.

"Fire still destroys the Virus," the pilot finished. "Each team should have a means of generating."

Ruby glanced to Weiss at that, who touched some dust vials at her hip and nodded. If that failed, Blake had been granted some kind of remote incendiary, too. At least they wouldn't have to try and disarm whatever explosives the White Fang had in place. All they had to do was burn the virus before it could spread.

Still, the White Fang were killing anyone who got in their way – civilians or not. She wanted to say she was shocked at the fact but that would be a lie. They'd already attacked innocents at Amity, and then at Beacon. This was just a continuation, or as Weiss put it, the final death throes of a terrorist organisation fighting for relevance. Unleashing a berserker virus over Vale wouldn't even do that, since every faunus here would die as well. It felt more like a revenge move, a final "screw you" as the White Fang ceased to matter.

The Bullhead came to a stop and hovered. A bullet pinged in through the door, ricocheted off the ceiling and lodged itself in the headrest next to Cardin. The large man grunted, unbuckled his seatbelt and hurled himself out the door. Ruby and her team followed.

There was a brief moment of free-fall before the roof of the building approached, several figures in white and grey already on it and shooting upwards. The White Fang had given up on subtlety, if it was even possible in the first place given that they were in full uniform, lugging obviously suspicious barrels of poison and taking over key public buildings. Maybe they'd never intended to remain hidden, or known it would be pointless.

Ruby's scythe swung down and she fired twice, pushing herself just a little off from the building's roof. Weiss and Blake slammed down with their own landing methods, but Ruby purposefully propelled herself away, falling down the side of the building and past the windows. Her eyes caught sight of the protrusion she was looking for, a small outcrop of stone. Crescent Rose bit down into it, at which point her momentum was halted and she swung inward, feet before her as she _crashed_ through the window somewhere on the fourth floor.

Three White Fang goons in gas masks turned her way, but Ruby was already rolling to her feet, scythe extended. There were dead bodies all around them, innocent victims, and Ruby shrieked in fury as she charged in.

/-/

"Shit, shit, shit," Yang charged through the abandoned facility with Roman hot on her heels. The city had no idea what it was dealing with and it was happening right now. They still thought the Fang Virus could be treated, that anyone infected would be okay at the end. All previous Fang infected had woken up with the Virus out of their system, but with the new strain, there was a good chance they'd wake up still in a rage – if they awoke at all.

Just the thought of a single infected getting into a civilian centre was enough to push her harder. Yang's robotic arm thrust out, firing the blast from Ember Celica, which she'd hooked onto it. The wall before her, already riddled with gunfire from the Malachites, failed to hold. She crashed through it a second later.

"Roman, where's the Paladin?" she gasped.

"That thing? It's too slow." He panted for breath. "We'll never make it back."

The whirr of an engine cut her off before she could respond, and a sleek, black Bullhead pulled in over the treeline, circling once until it saw them and quickly coming in to land. It was unmarked, heavily armed and the windows were completely blacked out. Yang prepared herself for combat as the door on the side slid open, but froze when a familiar face appeared from it.

"Come on," Vincent called, waving them over. The man was still in his grey suit and tie but any pretence of calm was absent. He looked like a man overworked to the point of a mental breakdown.

"Convenient timing," Yang said as she clambered in, strapping herself to a seat. Roman had barely set foot in the vehicle before it started to take off, leaving the thief to grab a railing to stay on his feet, and then drag himself to a seat.

"There's no time," Vincent snapped. "The White Fang have begun their attack. Forces have been mobilised to deal with them, and luckily they're obvious enough that we have police reports from all over the city. They're shipping the Fang Virus into key locations, doubtless with the intent to release it all at once and infect as many as they can."

"It gets worse, Vincent. They've doctored the recipe, made it stronger. Anyone infected is going to die."

The man stared at her aghast, and then quickly brought a hand up to his ear, touching what she had to assume was a communications device of some sort. "Did you get that? Yes, alert all teams. Understood." He glanced back to her. "The information will be passed on to those fighting the Virus. I can have your units informed if you wish."

Yang nodded, no longer surprised he had the ability to do that. "Please."

Vincent nodded and typed something into his scroll. Her own pinged a moment later but she ignored it, trusting it was a police-wide alert of what she'd just told him. Out of the window, Yang saw the walls of Vale approach at incredible speed. Normally, a Bullhead on the approach, especially an unmarked one, would be challenged, but the focus now was inward.

"We have reports from across the city," Vincent said. "Beacon has mobilised to contest the White Fang, along with the police. Other emergency services are on standby or escorting civilians to shelters."

"Where is the rest of my unit?"

"They've landed at the Centrox Building."

Yang knew of it. It was the tallest building in Vale, but rather than belong to any one group, it was jointly owned by a lot of very rich people, and they rented our floors and offices to other companies. It was pretty famous for its size, if nothing else. "Why there?"

"No idea, but our attempts to hail those within the building has resulted in failure. I can only assume your team discovered something and chose to intercept."

"Is that where we're going?" Roman asked.

"It can be. My task is simply to get you back within the city where you can be of use. That said, I bear unwelcome news…"

"What?" Yang demanded, eyes narrowed.

"The VSPR Headquarters has come under attack by the CPS. They're the private police force of the council, often used for protective detail and a last line of defence. Or that's what they should be. They're enforcers more than anything," he explained, seeing her confusion.

"Why would they be attacking us…?"

"Captain, I have no idea. The Council are claiming no knowledge of any orders pertaining to this, but with the city in uproar, it's hard to tell what is going on and what isn't."

"An opportunistic attack, then," Roman said. "Whoever our traitor in the Council is, they've seen a chance to deal with us while we're distracted. They're either trying to kill us or get rid of any evidence we might have against them."

"But we don't even have any eviden-" Yang's eyes widened. "Lisa. Shit!"

"Looks like she got too close to the truth for someone's liking," Roman drawled. "We dealing with that, or we heading to Centrox to support the others?"

Yang cursed. Damn it.

/-/

Qrow backhanded an infected woman across the jaw, wincing as bone crunched. The person fell, knocked unconscious in a single blow, and slumped to the ground. The others, criminals all, fanned out across the large plaza of the central lobby, putting down people as they went. No White Fang to be seen, but the fact there were infected civilians was proof enough they were in the right place.

His scroll buzzed a moment later and he checked the screen, answering it when he saw it was Yang. "Qrow here."

" _Thank God you answered. Put me on speaker and get the others close enough to hear."_

Qrow did so, whistling to catch the attention of the others. It took them a few seconds to dispatch of the rest of the infected, during which Yang's impatience could be hard in the way her teeth ground against one another. Luckily, it only took a second or two. "Okay, Firecracker. We're all here."

" _Good. Listen up, you're all in the Centrox Building, right?"_

"Yes, Captain," Mercury called. "Ground floor. I'm sure Emerald is on the top."

" _I'm going to have to trust you lot to deal with her for now, then. Roman and I can't reinforce."_

"What's happening?"

" _The HQ is under attack."_ Yang's voice was cut off by curses from all of them. _"Yeah, I know. Vincent picked us up and we're en route to deal with it before Lisa or Mark gets killed. That's going to delay us from getting to you, though. You'll have to clear the tower on your own."_

"We can handle it," Qrow said, without any arrogance. He was one of the strongest huntsmen around, and even though everyone else here was a crook, they were strong in their own rights. Against them they had a whole load of infected civilians, dangerous but in terms of quantity, not quality. The only real danger was the time limit.

" _There's something else, too. The Fang Virus has been modified – it's not something you can wake up from anymore. It's lethal. Adam is dead."_

Oh crap. Qrow dropped to one knee and touched a finger to the throat of the woman he'd knocked out. She seemed unnaturally still, even to him, and it didn't take long for him to register a complete lack of a pulse. If the blood trickling from her pale lips wasn't sign enough. Fuck. His bowed head was answer enough for the others, who looked away in anger.

"Boss, I sent Junior and Melanie back to HQ," Mercury said. "Junior's wounded, but Melanie should be able to buy time for Mark and Lisa."

" _Who do you have with you?"_ she asked.

"Me, Miltia, Neo and your uncle," Mercury reported. "It should be enough."

" _Okay. We'll go clear the HQ, and then leave Melanie to defend it once she arrives. From there, we'll either come to support you or hunt down the one responsible for organising the attack in the first place. Yang out."_

The call ended and Qrow stuffed his scroll away. Miltia was already several feet away, checking a few other victims. Qrow waited with bated breath, and growled when she stood and shook her head. Dead. All of them. They were dead the moment they'd been infected, and there was nothing any of them could do about that now.

"We go in hard," Qrow said, voice tinged with anger. "Civilian casualties… there's nothing we can do for these people anymore. If it's infected, kill it. We need to stop the White Fang releasing any more."

/-/

Lisa Lavender cried out as another bullet pierced through the door she was busy barricading, whizzing past her hair and shaving at least a couple of years off her life. Tears burned at her eyes but she fought past the urge to crawl into a ball and finished pushing the hefty desk in front of the door, behind the two metal filing cabinets already in place.

"I could use a little help here!" she howled.

"I'm busy," Mark replied, tearing open a cabinet. "Ah, here we go." He came back out with a rifle that looked far too big for him, made all the more awkward by how he clearly didn't know how to wield it. Not that she was any better.

A bang from behind tore Lisa's attention back to the present. There was someone trying to ram the door open with their shoulder. Lisa fumbled for her handgun and aimed it at roughly centre mass. The first shot caused a kick she wasn't ready for in the slightest and she almost lost her weapon entirely. It made the second shot go stupidly high. There was a gasp and a thump on the other side of the door, however. Her first shot hit.

"Holy shit, did I just kill someone!?"

"DOWN!" Mark tackled her aside a second before a hail of bullets eviscerated her. They tore through the space she'd occupied and she shrieked, hands over her head and she wished not for the first time she could be somewhere, anywhere, else.

Mark rolled over so that he was on his back, rifle aimed between his feet at the door. A burst of fire caused it to rattle and several figures beyond to jump back. He held it a little too long and the barrel moved higher, him losing control. After a second to adjust, he managed to handle some short bursts of three to four shots at a time.

The distraction gave Lisa a chance to duck further into the supply room and behind a metal counter toward the back. Several feet thick and with goodness knew what stocked inside; it would hopefully shield her from a few errant bullets. With a frightened gulp, she poked her head over the top and laid both hands over the counter, using the metal to rest her arms on so she could have a little more accuracy. The handgun kicked as she squeezed off three shots. This time she was ready for it and all three hit the doorway, if no one else beyond it.

 _We just need to buy time,_ she told herself. No one was expecting them to win, just to delay. The others… They'd come and save them. Of course they would. _Oh God Lisa, since when did you put yourself in situations where you're counting on barely reformed criminals to rescue you? This isn't what Dad meant about a safe, steady job._

"Look out! Flashbang!"

Mark's warning was enough for Lisa to duck back down – even if she didn't really register what he'd said, only that there was something to hide from. A loud `bang` echoed through the room, followed by a flash of white light and a cry from her faunus companion. His firing had stopped and she could hear him groaning as he tried to recover.

Lisa whimpered on the ground, fear burning through her body like blood. She wanted to cry. She was fairly sure she already was. For fuck's sake, she was just a journalist. Not... Not some badass huntress! She couldn't do this. She so couldn't do this.

"Go, go, go," a voice called from outside. "Breach and clear!"

Clear…? Was that all she was going to get? Was that what her life was worth? A single word, a single command, and then by the grace of some asshole in City Hall, she'd be killed and swept under the rug like she didn't matter? Maybe someone would make a story of it – an intern getting his big break at the expense of her life, all centred around the word `clear`.

It was too cruel. It was too unfair.

Something inside of her snapped.

"Fuck you!" Lisa roared, shooting to her feet. Through her wide and frenzied eyes she saw one man in uniform halfway through the door, clambering over the desk. His eyes met hers and she could see his shock through the clear visor. She could also see him raise his weapon to try and take her out. To try and _kill_ her. "Fuck you," she shouted again. "I write the stories. I'm not appearing in one! Not as a footnote obituary!"

The man didn't have the chance to try and decipher her hysterical rant as the first shot caught him in the chest. He staggered back but didn't fall, protected by his bulletproof vest. Lisa screamed and opened up, however, another in the chest, one bouncing off his helmet, one against his kneepad. And then wham, with a lurch and a spray of blood one caught him under the arm, right in the armpit. He cried out and slipped to the side, taking another just under his visor, up and into his throat in a chink of armour between his vest and helmet. He slumped face-down on the desk, becoming part of the barricade, but Lisa continued to fire away, until her gun clicked empty, and then clicked three or four more times as she pulled the trigger.

"She's empty!" someone yelled. "Get in there. Now!"

"This is a fucking supply room!" Lisa roared, not even bothering to reload her weapon. She simply tossed it aside and picked up the combat shotgun off the shelf to the side. Any sane person would have left it unloaded, but this being the _mother-fucking VSPR_ , safety protocols had been ignored, because _fuck_ common sense. The furious bark from the shotgun flung her back, and the fire dust cartridges it propelled _exploded_ on the doorway like a firework filled with napalm, spilling flames outside onto the panicked men and woman besieging them.

"That's the spirit," Mark yelled, finally recovering. He ran over to her and slammed his machine gun down on the counter, using it for support. The sound it made as it opened fire was deafening, and yet Lisa could barely hear it.

She was too busy screaming. Still screaming, that was, even though her throat was hoarse. The shotgun ran out of ammo, so she growled and _chucked_ it at the bastards. It missed, but cathartically bounced off the wall next to the door.

Her hands settled on something that could only be called a canon. Her eyes lit up, her teeth flashed as she bared them, and Lisa staggered over to point it roughly toward the door. Her breath came out in sharp, euphoric pants. Her entire body was shaking, and she was fairly sure she was wet. Or not, as it turned out. She'd pissed herself. Someone had framed her for sedition, tried to have her arrested, had come to _kill her_ and had now caused her to pee herself.

"Die, die, die, die, die!"

"You know, now you're starting to scare me," Mark whispered. A second later he shrugged and lit up the doorway.

/-/

Yang touched down outside the HQ right as Roman pointed his cane at two armed men in full black, standing outside the front door. Glass shattered and concrete erupted as the blast sent them spiralling, one crashing right into Yang's fist as she surged forward. Her robotic hand caught the man by the collar, and she quickly pulled the gun out of his hand and tossed it aside.

"Who the hell are you?" she hissed.

"U-Uh, Frank?"

"I don't care about your name. Who are you all and what the _hell_ do you think you're doing attacking my headquarters?"

"C-Council Protective Services. Y-You're under arrest."

"Cute." Yang slammed her fist into his face and dropped the guy when he crumpled to the floor. She motioned for the Bullhead to land in the car park but was already moving towards the foyer herself. Roman caught up, eyes scanning left and right, taking in the devastation.

"Three in the foyer," Roman whispered.

"I see them."

Yang kicked the door open and the three turned instantly, weapons raised. "Captain Xiao-Long. By the order of the Council of Vale, you-" The speaker gasped as Yang charged in. They each opened fire a moment later. The shots pinged off her aura, those that hit at all. Closing the distance, Yang caught one woman's barrel and twisted it to the side, causing her to cease fire or hit her ally. In the same motion, she drove an elbow into the stomach of a man, hooked her arm around his head and then hauled him back into the path of Roman, who swung his cane like a golf club, knocking the man out.

The final one tried to grapple with her, and might even have managed it were it not for the arm Ironwood had granted her. With a whirr of servos, her metallic fingers clamped down, breaking his immediately and bringing him to his knees. Footsteps down the corridor echoed.

"Take care of them," Yang commanded. When Roman left, she turned back to the man on his knees. "Right then, you're going to explain who ordered this attack right now."

"Fuck you."

"Not the correct answer, I'm afraid." Yang twisted her arm to the side, causing his to bend and put strain on his elbow. He gasped and struggled to break free, but her robotic arm was relentless. "Let's try again. Who, specifically, ordered this? Which council member?"

He glared at her but refused to answer, mouth set in a thin line. Yang growled and was actually about to break his arm when a hand came to rest on her shoulder. Vincent was behind her, crisp and composed with a tiny handgun strapped to his white shirt, visible under his jacket.

"Now, now," he said. "Let's not be too hasty, Captain."

"I'm not in the mood, Vincent. White Fang is attacking and everyone is in danger. I want answers and I want them now."

"And you shall have them," he said, brushing past her. He knelt before the man on the ground and reached out to take his helmet, gently prying it off. The man before them was middle-aged with greying hair and blue eyes. Grizzled, maybe forty or so. Yang didn't recognise him.

She doubted Vincent did, either, but he hummed and brought forth his scroll and took a picture of the guy, sending it away with the push of a button.

"W-Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" the guy growled.

"Vincent Saint-Sinclair. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm going to ask you a few questions and you, my friend, are going to answer them."

"Tch. Or else what?"

Vincent smiled and looked back at his scroll as the screen flashed. "Or else Tammy might be in trouble."

The man gasped.

"Robert Brunwick, age forty-four," Vincent read off. "Ah, you have quite the lovely wife, Mr Brunwick, and also a darling daughter. Tammy would be what, seventeen now? Testing to attend medical school. I say, she aims high."

"W-Who the fuck are you? Leave my daughter alone!"

"Mr Brunwick, I have done nothing to your daughter." Vincent paused to tilt his head as several explosions shook the building. Looked like Roman was hard at work. "Of course, that could certainly change if you didn't co-operate. Your daughter is clever, but hardly the highest achiever. Her grades are only just what they need to be. It would be a shame if that changed. Oh, and Margarette is going in for an operation on her hip next Tuesday, I see. Very interesting. Do you think she will be okay?"

"S-Stay the hell away from her. Stay away from them both!"

"Normally, I would, Mr Brunwick. Normally, I would. But you see, things are a little tense right now, what with the White Fang and now this. My associates and I are feeling rather… frustrated. We'd much rather be dealing with terrorists than crooked individuals like you, but if needs be, deal with you we shall. Now, I believe the good Captain wants to know who ordered this."

"I… I can't!"

"A shame." Vincent sighed and brought the scroll to his ear. "Magician, is that you? Be a dear and pass a message onto Vanguard. He should be on a mission at the moment but I believe the Brunwick family is close by. Tell him to misplace a grenade through their window. Yes, my dear, be sure he is thorough. We wouldn't want any witnesses."

"NO! No, I'll talk – I'll tell," Robert Brunwick folded like a stack of cards, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Just call them off. I'll do anything. I'll sign whatever, I'll hand myself in."

"Belay that order, Magician," Vincent said. He brought down his scroll and stepped back, motioning Yang forward with a pleased smile.

It wasn't one she echoed. If it wasn't for all the shit going on, she had a feeling she'd be trying to arrest him too. The only thing holding her back was that she'd seen that he hadn't actually patched a call through on his scroll, and she hadn't heard a voice replying. It was a bluff, albeit one that told both her and their captive that Vincent knew more than he should, or had people who could find it out for him.

"You're not really some criminal family, are you?" she whispered. "No one could find out about some random guy that fast, nor arrange for stolen military equipment to be ready for us, or fly an unmarked Bullhead into Vale airspace and not be questioned. Who the hell are you guys?"

"Why, I've told you before. We're all Vincent Sai-"

"Fine, be mysterious," Yang groused, pushing past him and ignoring his complaint that she interrupted his introduction. There was no time for it. Yang knelt and gripped Brunwick by his chin. Any sympathy she might have felt for his tears was washed away at the thought of what he, knowingly or not, was involved in.

People were dying out there.

"A name," she hissed. "Now. Which council member is involved?"

"Madam Celeste," he whispered. "Working with Warren Coppersmith."

The head of the council and his little toady. Yang remembered them well. She let Brunwick go, and then knocked him out with a swift knee to the face. Even as he fell, she looked to Vincent. "Can your people do anything about them?"

"We're engaged with the White Fang across the city at the moment, but I can ensure the two cannot leave the city if that helps."

"Yeah, that'll do. I think I'll be paying them a visit once all this is over."

Yang and Vincent whirled about as a nearby door slammed open and a figure in black fell through. He was followed by another in blue, a woman who at that moment screamed like a banshee and wielded an assault rifle in two hands – not aimed as one might expect, but as a club. Lisa Lavender screamed as she beat it down again and again on the already unconscious man.

"Lisa," Yang said. She didn't stop. "Lisa?" Another scream. "LISA!"

The journalist paused. Her face was bright red and covered in sweat and her shoulders rose and fell as she took great gulps of air. Her eyes were wide and obviously terrified and she looked around the foyer like she had no idea where she was. She was also, if Yang's eyes didn't deceive her, bleeding from a gunshot wound in the left shoulder. She was shaking like a leaf.

"C-Captain?" she asked, as if she couldn't quite believe Yang was there.

"You did good, Lisa. Stand down."

"Y-Yes? Did I?" Lisa dropped her weapon. "I-I think we're under attack, Captain. There are people. Or there were. I… I don't feel so hot." She swayed precariously and Yang cursed, moving to catch her. Mark beat her to it, however, stepping in behind Lisa and catching her as she fell. He lowered her to the ground and brought out a med kit.

"Hey boss."

"Mark."

"That- Ugh. Forget it."

"You're remarkably okay," Yang noted. "I expected you'd be hurt."

"I expected I'd be dead," he countered sardonically. "But hey, turns out nothing is scarier than an angry woman. Who knew? Well, I guess everyone did. We've all seen you, the twins and Neo. Come to think of it, where are-"

The door to the VSPR was kicked open so hard it shattered.

"Who the _fuck_ parked all those fucking cars outside!?" Melanie yelled, supporting a wounded Junior on one shoulder. Outside the window, Yang could see a Bullhead parked or not parked, as it were, literally on top of one of the unmarked cars blocking them off. The very dangerous piece of military hardware teetered precariously and fell to the side, crushing another car beneath it.

Melanie froze when she saw the bodies, shattered glass and bullet holes all across the foyer.

Junior, pale in the face, looked up with a groan. "Did we miss a party?"

/-/

"Weiss!"

"On it," Weiss replied, dropping her guard and sliding forward on a sheet of ice she summoned beneath her own feet. The terrorist's axe went for her head but she trusted her partner to handle it, and true to form Ruby's scythe caught and deflected it, allowing Weiss to slide by. She could have turned to attack the man from behind but she kept her eyes on the prize – four barrels stacked in a corner with a ticking device atop them.

"Stop her!" one of the terrorists roared. "Don't let her get to the virus!"

Well, it was good to know she was on the right track. Weiss darted forward, summoning a wall of ice to prevent anyone on one side of the office from getting in the way. Gunshots echoed and bullets pierced through all around her, but none hit. There was one final opponent in her way, but she ignored him entirely, already pushing a vial of red dust into Myrtenaster and then clicking the chamber shut.

Weiss could remember what it felt like to wake up after the Fang Virus, the fear and the agony, the gnawing guilt in her gut as she heard the news that people had died. Yang assured her she hadn't hurt anyone, but Weiss was no fool. She'd woken up with blood under her fingernails. She'd killed someone.

Damn the White Fang for that, and damn Yang for protecting her, for lying to her and for looking out for her even after she'd been a part of stabbing her in the back. Damn them all, and damn the idiot in front of her with a sword, who for some reason thought she was going to engage him in a friendly duel.

"Get out my way!" Weiss roared, thrusting Myrtenaster forward and activating the dust. There was a loud `fwoosh` as a coruscating spiral of flame flew forward, like a snake coiling towards its prey. The man saw it, gasped and threw himself to the side, but he'd never been the target in the first place. The fire struck the barrels behind him.

There was an ominous second where nothing happened, where Weiss wondered if their Intel was all wrong – but it was only the time necessary for the heat to work its way past the metal containers and within. Metal warped and bulged outward, and Weiss only just had the presence of mind to draw up a wall of ice before her as it exploded.

The force shattered the ice easily, but was muted enough that it only knocked her back a few paces. The arm she held over her face caught some fragments of shrapnel and she winced as her aura blocked it. Once the heat died out, however, she dared to look at the fruits of her labour. Fang, she recalled, was a visible gas, one heavier than air and tinted an obvious green. There was some of it even now in the air, but Weiss smiled grimly as it caught fire, burning up like flaming leaves falling from a tree.

Behind her, Ruby whooped happily, and even Blake let out a cheer.

Cardin burst through a wall a second later, mace balanced on his shoulder and a White Fang grunt gripped in his other hand. He slammed the unfortunate soul into the wall until he stopped moving and then dropped him to the ground.

"Just got news from Beacon," he called. "We need to get to the Centrox Tower in the middle of Vale. That's where the main stash is."

Weiss nodded. "What about your target?"

Cardin jerked a thumb back, and Weiss could see an inferno slowly eating away at the building next to theirs. Well, that was one way to handle it. There was going to be a lot of arson damage once this was over and done with.

Compared to what could still happen, it would be a small price to pay.

/-/

The woman's head exploded in a shower of gore.

Mercury took no real pleasure in it. Sure, he wasn't the kind to care about the suffering of others, but even he couldn't get excited for killing people hopped up on a drug like this, especially not when Emerald was the cause. Squaring the handgun before him, he fired off two more shots, dropping another man rushing toward him, hands and teeth outstretched. The man fell and began to convulse, dying like all the others did they didn't kill in one go.

A final bullet put him down for good, and he could only hope it would be a less painful end than having their hearts burst in their own chests. "Gods, this is fucked up."

"I can agree with that," the huntsman behind him said. Mercury couldn't say he'd ever expected to be working alongside Qrow Branwen, but then again he wasn't sure he'd have ever guessed he'd be clearing what was essentially a zombie infested tower, either. Was this office block of the living dead or what? "I'm just glad this is an office and not something worse."

"Like what?" Mercury asked as the two hurried down the corridor, guns drawn. Melee had become dicey once they realised a single bite would mean their deaths.

"A school, public building or housing lot. I don't want to imagine having to kill kids."

"Ugh. Yeah." Mercury reached the staircase first and motioned for Qrow to go up. The huntsman did so slowly, and a quick staccato of gunfire brought Mercury up behind. He arrived in time to see two dead and one unconscious.

That person twitched, convulsed and then went still, bleeding from the mouth.

"Damn it," Qrow cursed. "I keep hoping… I guess it's pointless to even try."

Mercury agreed it was, but refrained from saying so. At this point the entire building was infected with the Fang Virus, and the gas hung thick in the air. Their masks protected them, but if someone so much as lit a cigarette, the whole floor would go up. There could be no one still in one piece in here, not unless they were the most paranoid employee ever.

"Just give 'em a quick death," Mercury advised. "Best we can do."

They covered the next two floors in quick succession, working their way through whatever got in their way, before a distant explosion and a mighty whistling sound shook the building. It grew louder and then more distant, and was followed with the most horrific crashing sound, like tonnes of rock and metal shattering in one go.

"I guess Em noticed the elevator going up," Mercury said. There was no one in it, of course. None of them had felt confident enough to bet their life on Emerald being an idiot. If it got up and down safely, one of them might have taken it, but the test proved she wasn't playing around. Neo and Miltia were on the other side of the building, working their way up the fire exit.

"Shame," Qrow mumbled. "I hate stairs. How many floors does this place have?"

"Too many. There's still the second elevator if you want to skip it."

Qrow snorted. "I'll be alright. Anything I should know about this friend of yours?" he asked a few minutes later, the two of them covering another five or six floors. "I hear she works with illusions."

"That's what Cinder liked to make people think, but Emerald's Semblance is more about hallucinations. She can make you see and hear things that aren't there, or not see things that are. It only affects the people she puts it on, though, so it's not a real illusion."

"Is she limited?"

"Normally, yeah, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. Which we're about to," he added. "Best to assume she can hit both of us."

"I agree. Any advice?"

"Get in close and keep the pressure up," Mercury said. "Even if she can affect what you see, she can't use that to fend you off if you pile on the aggression. She's fast, but you're probably faster. In the end, she'll go down like anyone if you hit her enough times."

Of course, Mercury didn't bother to point out it wouldn't be that easy. Emerald had all the time she needed to set up the place they'd be fighting in, and there was no doubt they'd be walking into a trap. Not like they could do much about it.

"If it's four on one, she'll go down like a sack of potatoes," he said. "We'll just hope psycho mute and psycho not-so-mute are on time."

Qrow hummed his agreement, but quickly followed it up with a sigh. The staircase brought them out onto what was marked as the fortieth floor – fortieth of forty-five. They were nearly there. The sign on the wall, replete with a stylised image of a knife and fork, made its purpose clear. The cafeteria – and it was just an hour after lunch. True to form, the room was _filled_ with infected. They all turned toward the two the moment they stepped up.

"Fuck's sake," Mercury groaned. "Zombie shooter mission was a lot more fun in my head."

"We can't waste time here," Qrow said, even as they all started to lumber and run towards the two of them, several of the people already injured, others tripping over bodies, tables and one another in their haste. "She could launch the attack out over the city at any moment. I'll hold this lot off and catch up once I'm done. You go ahead and deal with the virus."

Mercury nodded and charged ahead, leaving the huntsman behind. Gunfire started all but immediately, but he ignored it, racing up the final few flights. The whole time, he kept waiting for an explosion to sound, for green gas to _pour down_ past the windows as Emerald unleashed hell over the city. By the time he reached the final floor, his heart was racing. He stepped up and off the staircase, and quickly hesitated.

It was a pent-house like floor, with wide windows in every direction and no walls to divide any of it. The view out over the city was magnificent, but it wasn't that which caught his eye. The floor was a sickly green in colour, and not just because it was stained from gas. It was covered in a bright green liquid at least a few inches deep. There were also plenty of barrels on the floor, easily forty or so stacked up in separate spots around the room. Bodies, some of civilians, others of White Fang, lay face-down in the liquid Fang, which lapped up against the clear windows like it might burst free at any moment.

The _glass_ windows, he noted. Mercury holstered his weapon. A single errant shot and he'd spill liquid Fang out over the city. With a wince, he stepped into the virus, it coming up past his ankles, almost to the top of his boots. _It's deep enough to restrict movement,_ he idly noticed. Emerald was being particularly clever today.

"Well, if it isn't Mercury," a familiar voice called. "The traitor returns. But is he here to try and stop us, or to beg for forgiveness?"

Mercury sighed.

"Hello Emerald."

* * *

 **Welp. The White Fang's final attack has begun, and already the casualties are piling up. The VSPR is split and stretched, and while the attack on the HQ has been rebuffed, the main spectacle has yet to begin.**

 **Oh, and cameos! We all need cameos, right? Magician and Vanguard make an appearance. ;)**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 25**

* * *

"Forgiveness?" Mercury asked, trudging through the liquid Fang. The smallest cut and he'd be infected, and likely with enough Fang to make sure he never woke up again. "I wasn't aware there was anything I needed to be forgiven for."

"You dare-!?" Emerald bit back her rage. "You betrayed us, Mercury. You're working for the enemy, for Vale!"

"I was imprisoned. I was caught and charged for working with you, and then thrown in jail for my sins. You can't say I wasn't loyal, Em. I was loyal up until Cinder died. I paid the price for my loyalty. It's not like you can expect any more than that."

"Dead, Mercury?" Emerald laughed. "You of all people should know better than to believe Cinder would die in so foolish a manner! She planned for it. She prepared for it. She fooled them all – and you, too." Her pitch rose frantically, reaching a piercing crescendo as she appeared by the backwards facing chair. "Cinder lives, Mercury! See with your own eyes!" The chair was spun about.

Mercury gagged.

The corpse was rotten and falling to pieces already. Time had not been kind enough to reduce the woman he'd served to bone and dust; there hadn't been long enough for that. Instead, she was currently in the process od rotting, with bits of flesh still clinging to her body and other parts swollen and burst open. Her eyes had gone, probably eaten by maggots. In their place were dark holes that seemed to stretch into her skull. Cinder's once-beautiful hair was straggly and thin.

What somehow made it worse was the meticulous way she'd been clothed and arranged, the fabrics new and bright, just like Cinder liked them, creating a horrifying contrast between lively red and corpse-grey.

Not that Emerald seemed able to see it. "See!?" she laughed. "You're the fool now, Mercury. Our mistress yet lives. She – She's here. She n-never left. Not us. Not me. S-She still trusts me."

"For fuck's sake, Emerald…"

"She trusts me to finish what she started," Emerald rasped, voice hoarse. "And I will. Vale made a fool of her; they dared to counter her plans. But losing one battle isn't losing the war. Vale will lose this war, Mercury. I'll make sure of it!"

"By using a bio-weapon on the entire fucking city? Come on, Em. You're better than this. What's the point? Cinder never wanted to just kill everything. There was always an objective."

If he could just get her to realise that, he could maybe convince Emerald to stop the countdown on her bombs that he could see attached to all the windows on the floor. They'd burst outward and cause the liquid to rain down from the Centrox Tower, accompanied by vast clouds of gas that would spread out like a tidal wave once it hit the ground however many floors below. It would be an absolute massacre.

"Just stop this, Em, and we can figure out what Ci- what the boss _really_ wants, okay? Then we can get you some help."

"Help?" Emerald reared away from Cinder. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Help? Is that what you think I need, Mercury? Help? I've done all of this on my own. _I_ manipulated Adam and the White Fang. _I_ kept everything secret. _I_ arranged the attack on the Central Bank. I did all of this, everything, and I did it without your help, Mercury. I'm beyond needing it. I'm beyond you." Her chest rose and fell as she laughed madly. "I'll prove to Cinder that we don't need you. Just Cinder and I, for all eternity."

Emerald brought up an object and pressed a button on it. There was a loud beep, and the satchels on the windows flashed red. One close to him had a counter on, which he caught from the corner of his eye.

 _10:00_

 _9:59_

 _9:58_

Great. Ten minutes and counting. Looked like stalling for time was out the window.

As Emerald tossed the device away, letting it fall and sink into the Fang Virus with a sickening `gloop`, Mercury drew forth his handgun and tossed it aside. A single stray shot would start the apocalypse early. This was going to have to end like it always did, one to one, melee.

"I can't let you do this, Emerald," he said. "I serve a new master now, and she'd have my ass if I didn't stop you here."

"Tch. The traitor shows his true colours at last."

"Yeah, I guess so." Mercury grinned. "But to be fair, the Captain has a much nicer pair of tits."

Emerald couldn't take the slight to Cinder, as he'd known she couldn't, as she'd never been able to. With a frantic roar she charged across the room, splashing poison left and right, swinging her sickles down towards his skull.

 _9:02_

Time to get started.

/-/

Yang gripped her scroll as Roman tore through the streets in their stolen squad car, running enough lights to shave years off her life and breaking the speed limit by a factor of four at least. She wished there was something else she could hold onto, but her new arm was as like to tear a hole in the car door as it was to grip on. Yang furiously dialled a number. The call went through immediately.

"Ozpin, the main bombs are the Centrox Tower. I need everyone evacuated away from it!"

" _Already ahead of you, Captain. The police have been working to move everyone into underground shelters, guarded by flamethrowers in case the worst happens."_ Ozpin sounded incredibly stressed, which put him in good company. His voice rattled off the words hastily. _"Our teams have secured Fang Virus caches across and around the city, but the fighting is still intense. The White Fang aren't surrendering, this is a do or die moment for them."_

"It's a die either way moment, sir. What do they think will happen to them if the entire city is turned into murderous zombies?"

" _An accurate summation. They seek to bring Vale down with them."_

"They won't," Yang snapped. "Just get all the civilians out of our way. We have to-"

"Shit!" Roman cursed, twisting the wheel to the side. Tyres screeched and the world around Yang spun horribly. She might have screamed along with the tyres and Roman himself, though had anyone asked later they'd have both claimed otherwise.

" _Captain!? Miss Xiao-Long? Yang!?"_

"I-I'm okay." Yang groaned and raised her head to cuss out Roman, only to pause as she saw something else before their car, which was now pancaked against a wall. Yang pushed some of the air bags out of her face and looked down on her scroll. "Got a problem, Oz. We'll have to get back to you."

" _What is-"_

Yang ended the call and turned sideways, kicking out the door with both feet. Staggering out, with Roman doing the same on the other side, Yang stepped towards the ten or so idiots milling in the middle of the road and pulled out her gun. "VSPR. Freeze!"

Feral faces turned towards her. Two were White Fang but the rest were just normal people, albeit they all had wild eyes and open mouths, some of which spilled blood onto the road. The moment they saw her, the pack roared and charged forward.

"Shit. Open fire!"

The first shot went wide but the second caught a terrorist in the side of the face, piercing through his mask and splattering viscera behind him. Roman launched a red dust shell from his own weapon, hitting the ground and throwing three back. Yang managed to bring another down with two bullets in the stomach, before she tossed the weapon aside and met the charge head on.

The cybernetic arm made short work of a woman's skull, killing her instantly. Yang ducked under an arm that swept for her face and kicked upwards, breaking someone's jaw. It didn't stop them, and they went for her again, only giving up when she grabbed their head between both hands and twisted, dropping the body after a horrifying cracking sound.

Roman handled his own with just as much ease, though he was careful to keep them at the end of his weapon, which he swung like a bat. He didn't have a Semblance like hers that would let her burn out any infection. The whole fight lasted barely a minute, but their car was totalled.

"I should have just run 'em down," Roman growled.

"No. You didn't know if they were infected or not." Yang knelt by one that Roman's blast had only knocked out. The wound shouldn't have been fatal, but it was. The man twitched and spasmed before going still. Another heart attack.

"Looks like some of the White Fang managed to get their bombs off. You think these poor bastards were too slow to reach the shelters?"

"That or too stupid to listen to the warnings," Yang returned. There were suitcases in the road. They'd gone back for belongings and valuables. Said belongings cost them their lives. "This is worse than Cinder's actual attack."

"Tell me about it. For all the shit we pulled, the casualties were a fraction of this."

Yang looked up as some green-coloured gas washed towards them. "Gas masks," she said, bringing her own up as Roman did the same. Her vision dimmed for a moment until she was able to get used to seeing through the visor. "We need to find the source of this and burn it before it spreads. You got a fire-dust charge?"

"Yep." Roman opened his coat to reveal a few satchels attached to the interior. "Looks like it's coming from that bridge over there."

Yang saw it. The thing was mostly steel construction, so it wouldn't catch fire. At least that would cut down the collateral damage. True to Roman's words, the gas seemed thicker there, rolling and falling off the edge to float in the water beneath. Yang hoped it wouldn't be spread by it.

"You can leave this one to me if you like, boss," Roman said.

"You sure?"

"I'm used to sneaking into places I'm not supposed to be. I'll be fine."

"Right." Weeks ago, she might not have trusted him to do it, too afraid he'd make a run for it. Now, well, things were different. "Good luck, Roman."

"Good luck, boss. Kick some ass for me."

With a nod, Yang sprinted in the opposite direction. Dragging out her scroll, she dialled in another number.

" _VSPR HQ."_

"Mark. It's Yang. Where's Melanie?"

" _Busy holding off some stragglers coming by to cause trouble. Looks like not everyone managed to get away before the Virus hit. We have some civilians here, too."_

"Alive?"

" _They arrived looking for help as they were too far away from the shelters. I managed to fit them with gas masks and they're hiding in the cells. For their own safety."_

She could accept that. If the HQ got overrun, the bars might keep any infected from getting to them. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. "Right, keep it up. I need you to get in touch with the council, too. Tell them to spread the news that the virus can be fought off with fire. Naked flames, lighters, aerosols. Whatever people need to use to protect themselves. We'll deal with the arson later."

" _W-We can try but the council aren't listening at the moment. Best we managed to reach was Captain Redcliffe and he won't listen."_

The Council were silent? Damn it. If they'd been taken down already – possibly by the traitors – then there was no telling what might happen. Could the White Fang call an all-clear when it wasn't safe, getting more infected?

Or what if the Council used their influence to have another bomb set off in the shelters?

Shit.

"Change of plans," Yang said, changing direction. "I'm headed to the council chambers. Tell Lisa to contact whoever she needs to. I don't care if this causes a panic or not, if it saves lives, we need this information on the air now."

" _Got it, Captain. Leave it to us."_

/-/

Qrow growled as he cut through another three people, dodging back from the hands that tried to drag him down with them. He hopped up onto a cafeteria table and ran down it, stretching out the mindless horde a little before turning back. The people – zombies, he had to remind himself. There was no `people` left here – acted like worse Grimm. They had the mindless aggression down, but they didn't have the physical strength or speed to back it up. In every way that mattered, they were normal men and women who didn't deserve this. Their biggest threat was in both their numbers and their infected bodies.

If they could slow him down or drag him under, he'd eventually be infected along with them, be it in one of them finding some skin to sink their teeth into, or a hand knocking off his gas mask in the melee. Either end would spell his doom.

"There's nothing I can do to help you," Qrow said, voice hoarse with anger. He switched his scythe back into its gun form and opened fire, bringing down six in half as many shots, the dust rounds piercing through bodies with ease. No aura to be seen. "Damn it. I hope you don't feel this. I really do."

Pity warred within him, but it was too late for these poor souls. The White Fang, along with this Emerald girl, had already killed them. This was just him putting them out of their misery. He had to remind himself of that.

Another two had gotten up onto the table. Qrow dashed towards them, pulling his feet out of the weak hands that tried to clasp around him. The first fell when his blade cut through its stomach, the second to a roundhouse kick that snapped its neck. Still moving so that the others couldn't swam him, Qrow forced the first – still trying to reach him – off the end of his weapon and leapt over the crowd's head, onto another table. It rocked under him but held, and without a moment's thought or hesitation the mob surged after him again.

Fighting them like this wasn't going to work. He needed something bigger, something with a little more area of effect. Not for the first time, Qrow wished he'd had the sense of mind to include some grenades among his armament. Hindsight was a bitch like that. With a glance towards the kitchen attached to the cafeteria, Qrow took a step forward.

And instantly cursed as the table under him buckled, a leg giving way – despite that he was nowhere near it.

"Semblance!" he gasped, tumbling off and rolling to his feet. Several hands caught his shoulder immediately and he swung wildly behind him, severing most. More came, however. Too many. His legs were buried under the weight of them and it was all he could do to push back a snarling face that wanted to bite down onto his neck. "Fuck!"

"GET DOWN!"

Bullets scythed through the body above him, splattering blood across his chest. The gunfire continued further on, pushing two or three more off his feet. It was enough for Qrow to kick himself free and scramble away, towards the back door which was now open with two figures stood in it, assault rifles in hand.

"Hey cute stuff," Miltia teased. "Need a little help?"

"Bout time you arrived," he panted, nodding once to the mute girl beside Miltia, who had already moved forward, tossing down her rifle and drawing a thin blade. "Thanks for the save. I owe you one."

"Not like I'm going to let you die before I've claimed my pound of flesh." Miltia eyed him below the waist to make her less-than-subtle words even clearer.

"If we get out of here in one piece, you can do whatever you want."

"That so? You realise you don't get to take that back later."

"Think I'd need it after this shit."

"Kinda agree," Miltia added. She looked around. "Where's Merc?"

"Upstairs. I sent him up alone."

"Then I guess we need to finish these fuckers off quick, then." She reached behind her back and drew forth a small pack of explosives, which she tossed to him with a wink. "Here. Have fun with those."

As the gunfight began once more, this time punctuated with explosions, the televisions in the cafeteria flickered and changed, the alert message on them replaced with a nervous looking man in a suit.

" _We interrupt this emergency broadcast for an unsanctioned but important message. This is Raymond Skye of Vale4 News. On cam, we have Lisa Lavender, ex-reporter and current officer of the VSPR, with important information regarding the Fang Virus and how you can keep your family safe."_

" _Thank you, Raymond,"_ Lisa said, appearing on screen. _"As everyone knows, a state of emergency has been declared and all citizens are to make their way to the nearest shelter. However, should you find yourselves trapped, too far away or in a dangerous situation with the Fang Virus approaching, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Namely, fire. The gas that carries the Fang Virus is highly flammable, and intense heat will kill the virus, rendering it harmless. Anyone unable to reach a shelter is advised to start a fire immediately – in as safe a manner as possible – and remain close to the blaze. Large campfires and bonfires will be enough."_

" _And this will keep people safe, Lisa?"_ Raymond asked. In the background of the studio, several figures were already heaping papers into a large pile, while another held a lighter and started to set it off.

" _It will render the Fang Virus harmless, but it cannot cure those already infected. As of this moment, the VSPR HQ has also been declared an emergency shelter, and any nearby are to head here immediately, where gas masks will be provided."_

" _You heard it, folks. We would urge people to stay safe, but if you see the Fang Virus approaching, your last hope may be to start a fire large enough to destroy it. As always, we advise calm and caution, and to be aware of structural integrity and other dangers involved."_

/-/

Ruby slammed a hand against the Bullhead window.

"Wait, wait, I see smoke!"

Weiss and Blake joined her a second later, alongside CRDL at the windows. Below and to the west lay a large open field covered in grass, one of the parks of Vale, and in the centre was a large, burning fire, expelling plumes of black smoke up into the sky. Visible even from their high altitude were the crowds of people around it, huddling against the fire.

Worse, they could see more approaching – and these came from the green-coloured gas that covered a portion of the city.

Infected.

"Shit," Cardin cursed. He slammed a hand on the back of the pilot's dividing wall. "Forget the tower. Bring us down now! We need to help them!"

The pilot reacted immediately, bringing the Bullhead into an angry dive. Ruby was pushed back into her seat but still had the presence of mind to look below, to the fast approaching bonfire which she could now see was made of vast amounts of wood, mattresses and other trash stacked high. There was an area around it several hundred metres wide where the gas would not approach, a clear sign that those within were innocents and uninfected.

"Altitude reached," the pilot's voice called over the speakers. "Drop is a go."

Blake had the doors open a second later, working with Skye on the other side. Wind rushed in but they pushed past it, Ruby leaping out with Weiss and Blake behind her, the four members of Team CRDL doing the same from the other side.

They hurtled down, and Ruby's eyes took in what she could. Some people were armed down there, police with guns, and some just volunteers with bats or planks of wood. They were holding off as best they could, while yet more huddled behind, holding onto children, crying and trying to pretend the nightmare wasn't happening.

If someone had asked a few weeks back, Ruby would have said there was nothing crueller in the world than the Grimm. Now, she knew better. Grimm had the excuse of not having minds, consciences or empathy.

What kind of monster could do all of this despite that?

She watched an officer holding a handgun fire at a mass of bodies approaching. His shots were measured, calmly placed, and yet there were too many to stop. Rather than fall back, he held his ground, knowing he would have to give his life.

Crescent Rose came around without conscious thought. The sight came up to her eyes and she twisted in the air, breathing out.

One shot.

An infected town down.

Another shot.

A second fell.

The third shot.

It drove one into the ground, giving the officer a chance to reload and look up in shock and awe, less than a second before Ruby struck the ground like a comet. Dust kicked up around her, but she was already moving, scything the arm off someone who deserved better before he could run by and kill innocent people.

Blake, Weiss and the others slammed down just after her – and were instantly moving. Cardin barked out some orders and his team spread out, trying to form a loose perimeter around the entire park.

"Oh, thank the gods you're here," the police officer practically wept. "I thought I was dead."

And yet he'd still stood there and done his best. Ruby could hardly believe it, but she flashed the man – only a year or two older than her – a friendly smile. "Can I trust you to handle the occasional straggler that gets past me?"

"Damn right you can, miss."

Ruby nodded, and as a ripple of hope spread through the crowd, she smiled all the more.

 _The rest is up to you, sis._

/-/

Mercury hit the murk with a splash and held his breath, even with the gasmask on over his face. He pushed up and staggered out of it, wiping a hand over the visor to clear the green much, just in time to see a blade come in for his throat. He was barely able to get out the way.

That left Emerald open, giving him the time to place his foot against her stomach and shoot – knocking her flying. The agile girl flipped in the air but still landed hard, splashing down like he had and sending Fang everywhere.

Taking the moment for what it was, Mercury charged over to the nearest stack of Fang barrels and tore the bomb off it, hurling it away with a quick check at the timer.

 _4:26_

Damn it. He'd barely gotten through a quarter of them, and even then, there was no telling if it would be enough to stop the force of the remainder from taking out the top floor and sending the virus out over the city.

Emerald was on him again before he could think any more on it. They exchanged rapid blows that shook their aura with every strike. She was either too mad to use her Semblance or felt he'd be able to figure it out and break free. He, in turn, could barely use any of his own skills for fear of breaking the windows himself. He could only fire his boots when he was a hundred per cent certain she'd take all the force. And when she'd not be knocked back into glass.

The biggest problem was getting any real hits on Emerald when he had to drag his feet out of the sludge beneath him. It telegraphed his attacks – probably her plan; she'd always been the clever one – and basically meant he only managed to land a blow when he let her get in on him.

"What's the matter, Mercury? Are things not going as you thought they would?"

"Nah, I'm just a little disappointed you went loony on me before we got a chance to bang. Sexual tension was thick enough to cut with a knife."

"In your wildest dreams."

"Heh, you got that right."

 _2:48_

If there was a way to clear the floor, the fight would be easier. He'd always been the brute to Emerald's brains, taken on for his strength whereas she was kept for her Semblance. Problem was how to drain it without making everything worse. It was at least a foot deep. It wasn't going to happen.

Outsmarting Emerald, then. Not his strongest suit at all, but this couldn't continue. He needed her to come close.

"So, is this your plan, Em? Sit back and wait until the bombs go off, collapse the roof and kill us both? That doesn't seem like you."

"A shame I can't say the same about you, Merc. Talking in the middle of a fight really _is_ you. As for plans, why don't you leave that to me and Cinder. That's all you ever did."

Cinder, Cinder, Cinder. She really was obsessed – and with a corpse no less. Except that Emerald wasn't able to see it, almost like she was trapped in her own illusion. Was that possible? Had she self-inflicted it on purpose, just to make life a little brighter?

Unlikely. It would go down when she slept. She was probably just insane – but he could still use that. Mercury kicked up one leg and grinned when Emerald leapt back. That was fine, though. Expected, even. Pushing it down and kicking off, Mercury splashed his way across the room towards the chair sat in the middle.

Emerald screamed in rage. "NO!"

Mercury ignored it. Reaching his destination, he reared back, planted one foot on Cinder's corpse, and fired at point blank range. Skin and bone shattered under the force of it, as did the chair, bending the body in half as it splashed down face-first into the Fang Virus with a sickening squelch.

He barely had the time to turn before Emerald was on top of him. Her hands caught him wildly, followed by her entire body, which knocked him off his feet. The two of them splashed down, Mercury actually submerged under the Virus for a second, before he was able to slam his fist into Emerald's jaw and break free enough to get his head back above. He gripped onto her shoulder with one hand, an arm with the other.

"Got you."

Emerald gasped as Mercury brought a foot under her, pushing it into her stomach and firing twice. Her body buckled and shook, lifted off him for a moment but for his hands on her, dragging her back down. One of her knives came down on him but skittered off his aura and into the green liquid surrounding them. Mercury drove his head into hers, cracking their masks together and dazing her. He didn't let go.

"Traitor!" Emerald accused. "You left us, left me, betrayed Cinder, betrayed me!"

"I was fucking arrested! I didn't have a choice!"

"I'll never forgive you!"

Her hands caught his mask. There was a pop and a hiss as one of the pipes running from it to the pack on his chest expelled air. Mercury's eyes widened, and he slammed a hand into her neck, forcing her to cough blood.

Despite it, Emerald's eyes were wild and crazed. Her hands forwent her weapons, clutching to his mask as she pulled it down. He fired three more times into her stomach, until aura shattered, and blood ran down his leg. Even then, she didn't stop.

Not that it mattered. She'd already severed his tank. Mercury could _see_ the green gas filling up inside his visor. He held his breath as best he could, eyes watering.

"Let it go," Emerald whispered. She coughed, already dying, already infected, if only because he'd blown a hole into her. "Let it go, Mercury. This… It'll be our final revenge… we can… still… serve her…"

He couldn't do it. His lungs screamed. His mouth opened.

Fang flooded in.

"F-Fuck," Mercury rasped. He managed to push himself into a sitting position, Emerald slack against him, her now bare face pressed against his chest. In a fit of rage, he tore off his own mask, too. Wasn't much good now.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Mercury brought a hand up before his face. The veins on the back of it looked black, standing out against his skin. His whole body was burning, and his heart was racing – enough so to feel like it was trying to burst out his chest.

Infected.

He laughed. "What a shitty way to go…"

One of the bombs was nearby. Mercury trudged over to it, still holding Emerald against him. He fell down, splashing into the Fang, his back to the metal barrel. The timer was by his head, visible through the ever-reddening haze.

 _1:18_

"Shit."

Something burned again. He wasn't sure what it was, but it might have been his eyes. Or his mind. Already he could feel the anger mounting, the rage building. Not like he'd be in a position to hurt anyone when these bombs went off, but still, he'd fucking failed.

Again.

Once with Cinder, once with Emerald, and now for the Captain.

Fuck.

Or… had he…?

Mind heavy, fingers shaking, Mercury reached into his satchel and drew out a carefully wrapped pack. It was filled with red dust, with fire dust. It was designed to take out a single concentration, but with the floor all being Fang, and thus flammable…

It was all he had.

 _0:56_

Fingers shaking, Mercury typed in the code.

 _Set Timer_

"Thirty seconds," he whispered.

 _Set_

 _0:30_

 _0:29_

 _0:28_

Mercury let his head fall back against the barrel. His eyes drifted shut.

"Hey… Em…"

"Y-Yeah?" the dying girl rasped weakly.

"I'm sorry I let you down. If I hadn't been captured, if I'd stuck with you, maybe you'd have had someone to rely on." He drew a deep breath. "Maybe this shit would have never happened."

One of Emerald's hands gripped his lapel weakly. "I… I miss her, Merc…"

 _0:19_

"Yeah." He placed a bloody hand on the back of her head. "I know, Em. We'll go find her. You and me. Together."

Her eyes dulled. "I-I'd like that…"

She went still.

 _0:13_

"Wait for me, Emerald. I'll not leave you alone this time."

They were all of them twisted. Neither he, Emerald nor Cinder really deserved to exist in this world. Their presence brought too much baggage, too much pain. They'd had their moment. Best they step back and let some others have a chance.

Mercury sighed again, this time with a bitter smile. Not much of an entrance into this world, abused by his own father, picked up by a criminal and then sent to prison. But fuck it if he wasn't going to get a decent exit. People might even remember him for this - and with something other than curses and hatred.

Somehow, that felt nice...

Satisfying...

 _0:05_

Mercury looked up towards the ceiling.

"It was fun, Captain. More than I thought it'd be..."

 _0:02_

"Good luck."

 _0:00_

/-/

Yang froze as a vast explosion ripped across the city. In the distance, the top floor of the Centrox Tower erupted in a ball of flame. Embers flew out in every direction, falling like sparkling raindrops. There was no trace of Fang among them, nor above the tower at all.

So, why were there tears in her eyes…?

* * *

 **Fare thee well, Mercury.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Here we are.**

 **Kegi Springfield made some hilarious fanart – not so much of this fic specifically, but in reference to the amusing range of fates Emerald has been through in my work. Go check out his DA or Google "Kegi Springfield" to see it.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 26**

* * *

The shock from the explosion brought all eyes upward, some with fear, others with doubt. For those in the know, however, it brought hope. Ruby Rose was one of them, stood on the grassy lawn with Crescent Rose held before her, numerous victims fallen in the grass around and ahead of her.

Fire destroyed the Fang Virus, and according to what they knew, the main cache was in the Centrox Tower. If it had blown up like that…

Then this might finally be over.

She wasn't the only one to recognise it. Cheers started up from the defenders, followed by the innocent masses by the bonfire as the news spread. People began to chant and stamp their feet, while yet more cried in relief, holding onto loved ones as they fell to their knees and hugged one another.

She'd done it.

Yang did it.

"Good job, sis."

"Ruby!" Blake shouted. "Is that-?"

"Yeah. Yang did it. She took out the Fang Virus."

"So, we've just got to hold out until help comes?" Blake looked to the gas once more, which – if Ruby's eyes weren't deceiving her – did look a little thinner. "Or until this burns out and fades away."

"Yeah. I think so."

Blake nodded. Out of all of them, she was the only one not to have made peace with Yang, but that didn't look to bother her right now. Blake twisted past an attack from an enraged White Fang member, gas mask missing, and brought her cleaver round in a ferocious arc. The faunus fell, gasping on blood that bubbled from his throat.

Ruby looked down to her own hands, covered in blood, and wondered why she wasn't more hysterical than she was. A distant part of her felt she ought to have been shaking and screaming. Instead, she was deadly calm.

They were all going to need help after this.

But as long as the city was alive for them to receive it, nothing else mattered.

/-/

VPD Officer Rachel Greene unloaded her standard-issue handgun on the infected civilians running towards their position. Not for the first time, she wished standard-issue included a minigun or something. Her eyes flicked down to her partner, Neil. He was down with a wound in his side, but he hadn't turned. A member of the White Fang got him good with a shot at range, and she hadn't been able to get him away in time.

Hell, the paramedics she'd called to help him were stuck behind their own vehicle, one using Neil's weapon while the other did his best to patch her partner up.

The whole city had gone to shit.

And to think the two of them had just been patrolling. Everything went wrong the moment the crossed the Memorium Bridge. White Fang had already been there, up on the struts and even down below, setting up their fucking explosives. The two of them had found their car riddled with bullets before they'd known what was going on, and it was only Neil's quick thinking – even when shot – that kept them on the road.

"Go," Neil panted. "Get out of here."

"Fuckin' tenth time you've said that," Rachel snarled. "Tenth time I'm going to tell you to shut the fuck up. I'm not going anywhere."

She blasted another runner off his feet, the shot snapping into the target's chest and knocking them back. Even then, the zombie-like creature tried to stand again, only slumping dead after a full ten seconds. The fact that these were normal people at heart had long since ceased to filter into her head. How could it when they acted so unnatural?

"I'm running low."

"Me too," the paramedic called.

Not good. Standard-issue sidearms came with standard-issue amounts of ammo, which with the budget cuts they were always put through, meant precious little. To be fair, no one expected them to need enough to deal with the apocalypse.

"You two should get out of here," she said. "Take Neil with you. I'll hold 'em off."

"Go where? The Hospital? Be a miracle if that wasn't hit."

"We're staying here," the one by her feet said. She noticed him pick up her discard baton. Did he really intend to try and fight off the zombie hordes with that?

No. Obviously not. He intended to _die_ doing what he could. It was all any of them had.

"Fuck this," Rachel growled. She slammed her elbows down on the bonnet and aimed at another infected terrorist. "And fuck the White Fang!"

She pulled the trigger.

The bridge exploded into flame.

The rush of heat was so sudden it knocked her off her feet, hurtling her back a good foot before she fell, scurrying for cover behind their squad car. Further down the bridge there was an almighty _crack_ , followed by an ear-splitting _groan_ as the world shifted. Rachel only just had the courage to look over, and then to gape as the bridge – split in the middle – groaned and splashed down, divesting cars and bodies into the water below. Even the water was on fire, the Fang Virus on the surface catching alight, along with the rest of it all around them, turning the once proud Memorium Bridge into a raging inferno.

"Nice shot," Neil gritted out.

"W-What? I didn't do that!"

The click-click of shoes on concrete tore her attention back to the ruined bridge, the inferno of which lit up the sky and surrounding buildings. A silhouette walked from it, strolled even, and it was the gait – so smarmy, so arrogantly human – that caused her to not open fire. No Fang-addled zombie would _ponce_ around like that.

The tall man stepped from the smoke and ash, his white coat tarnished and scuffed, his ever-present hat… well, not present. His orange hair was dishevelled and covered in soot. His face was covered in a thick, black mask. Given that the Fang was all but gone, the rest on fire, the man brought a hand up and pushed the mask aside, revealing a huge, toothy smirk.

Roman Torchwick raised an eyebrow toward her, and the tiny gun in her hands. He reached into his pocket, drew out a small silvery box and opened it, flicking a cigar up to his lips.

"Got a light?"

Rachel stared.

And then she looked past him, to the bridge. The bridge that was on fire.

Roman looked back too. "Ah. Just so we're on the same record, that was like that when I got here."

She couldn't even…

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

One of the paramedics laughed hysterically.

/-/

The silent comms told them Mercury's fate better than any body could. Enough so that they knew they didn't need to check up top, even if they could. The staircase was blocked with fallen masonry, much of it still on fire. The upper floors had been burned free of Fang, the heat enough to ignite it even when the explosion was centred a level above. The walls creaked and trembled under the now uneven weight distributed atop it.

Qrow, Neo and Miltia were forced to evacuate.

In the interests of being a gentleman, Qrow opted _not_ to casually fly out the window and away in bird form. He had a feeling Yang wouldn't forgive him that.

"Lower levels are still covered in gas," Miltia grunted, slipping under Qrow's guard as he grappled with an infected. Miltia drove her claws into the person's unprotected gut, cutting upward a moment later to sever the ligaments in their arm, saving him the trouble. "Merc dealt with the main cache – the bastard – but we've still got the rest of the building to clear out." Miltia's voice caught at the mention of his name. She laughed bitterly. "Lazy bastard, leaving the rest of the building to us."

Qrow smiled as best he could. He hadn't known the kid well, but he knew what the kid had done for them all. "Yeah. Think he'd want us to finish the job?"

Neo nodded.

Miltia did too. "Of course."

Most of the lower levels were cleared out from their run up but the occasional straggler they dealt with as necessary, giving the only mercy they could. By the time this was over, the body count would be high. Higher than anything Cinder wrought.

The White Fang, though. They'd be done. There was no surviving this, not even for the other branches. Once the Kingdoms learned what the White Fang would do, even their staunchest supporters would turn on them.

"If the whole tower is full of Fang, we'll have to bring it down. Even a single infected sneaking away could be a disaster." Qrow backhanded a final infected as they reached the ground floor. He shot the poor soul a second later. "Miltia, you know anything about demolition?"

"We put bombs everywhere and set them off. How hard can it be?"

"Harder than that, I reckon."

"Not like we have time to argue about it."

"Good point." The city would have to forgive them any problems. Qrow took out his pack and rummaged in it. At first, he'd wondered why Yang's team felt the need to supply them all with explosives. It seemed like overkill. Most of these had been intended for the White Fang base. "Stick them onto every pillar you can find," he instructed the girls. "No idea which are supports and which aren't, but overkill often works."

Miltia laughed. "Hey, you're fitting in with us already."

Gods, he really was. Qrow tried to feel horrified but really couldn't. Ozpin would have words to say, especially about things like collateral damage and subtlety, but screw that for now. The whole city was going to be wiped out if what Fang Virus remained here got out.

Slapping charges onto any spot he could find, Qrow adjusted the buttons and set each to ready, aware that he was one slip of a finger away from disaster. The gas from above was starting to come down the stairs now, heavier than air and pooling toward the bottom. When it reached critical mass, it would pool out into the streets surrounding the tower.

"All set!" Miltia called. "Might want to get everyone away."

The pigeon gallery outside. Qrow cursed. Some of them were emergency responders waiting for the go-ahead, and some were police. Many weren't, however. Many were just people seeking safety and somehow thinking the tower at the centre of it all would be that place. Qrow strode out of the building and pointed his handgun in the air, firing four times to drive the crowd to silence.

"Everyone back up," he shouted.

"What's going on?" one of the police demanded. "I am Captain Redcliffe, and I _demand_ you tell me what is going on here."

Qrow grinned and revealed the ignition switch. "Renovations."

The man's face paled. He spun around to those behind him, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Get back! Get the hell back!"

/-/

The Town Hall loomed ahead. It was a large building, impressive in its architecture, dominating the buildings around it. All of them were free from Fang, free from any White Fang presence despite their importance. It was not a fact Yang failed to identify.

There were two guards at the entrance, armed and ready. Both wore full-black, including gas masks.

"You there. Halt."

Yang did so, though only for a second. "Get the fuck out of my way!"

Two guns were pointed in her direction. Bad move. Yang's hair started to shimmer, but she gave them the benefit of the doubt. Just one.

"I am Yang Xiao-Long, Captain of the Vale Special Police and Recon Unit. I am here to arrest Celeste and Warren Coppersmith on charges of treason, terrorism and murder."

The two exchanged shocked glances. Or she assumed they were, under their masks.

"We've heard nothing of that," one of them said. "The city is currently in a state of emergency. We cannot grant you access. Any such charges should be dealt with internally. If they turn out to be valid."

Heh. Just like them.

"I'm coming in," Yang warned. She took one slow step, and then another. "You have two choices. Get out of my way or stay in it, at which point I'll consider you as interfering in a VSPR operation and put you down."

"I'll take the third option," the guard growled, raising his weapon. "The one where I-"

Yang's elbow slammed into his throat a second later, pinning him to the wall. He struggled for a second, before the choke she had on him cut off the blood to his brain. He slumped, his partner already down from a vicious roundhouse kick to the side of the head.

"There is no third option," Yang said, dropping him.

The main foyer was empty. The receptionist's desk had been abandoned and the windows were sealed, no doubt to protect those inside. Yang stalked to the desk and behind, checking the computer. It was turned off. She _did_ find a small map however, given as a leaflet. The Town Hall did have visitors occasionally, being both a tourist attraction and a place of work. Checking it, she found the main council chambers, probably empty, and then scanned through to individual offices.

Picking up the handheld intercom, she dialled the extension 566. The call rung several times.

It answered with a click. _"Damn it, I said I was busy! I said no calls!"_

Yang recognised the voice. "Warren Coppersmith?"

" _Of course, who else would it be? Wait, who is this!? You don't sound like Miss Smithson."_

Yang hung up, and then disconnected the device by pulling out the wire beside it. He was still in his office. Good. The fact he might be innocent didn't filter into her mind. He'd been against the VSPR from stage one and made no secret of it. He'd tried to have her removed, most noticeably _after_ she recorded some success against the White Fang. It didn't help that _someone_ had sent armed men to shut down the VSPR, using the Fang attack as a cover.

And more than that, the Town Hall was untouched. No White Fang, no virus, nothing.

Adam was dead.

Her team was dealing with Emerald.

Ozpin was seeing to the destruction of the Fang Virus.

It was time for her to finish with what little remained.

/-/

Warren Coppersmith was busy running documents through a shredder when she reached his office. The motion was sudden and rushed, no doubt because he heard the shouts outside – and the tell-tale thuds of his guards being dealt with. When Yang kicked the door open, he was pushing paper down into the machine, tossing a lit match onto yet more.

There was a briefcase on his desk. It was full of money, documents and more. There was a gun on the desk beside it.

"Going somewhere, Councillor?" Yang asked.

"You!" The fat man spat at her. "What are you doing here? Don't you know there's a terrorist attack out there? You should be dealing with it!"

"I _am_ dealing with it."

Warren didn't miss the message. He lunged for his gun, bringing it up to point at her face. Sweat dribbled down his face, pooling atop rolls of fat before it ran sideways and down. Warren Coppersmith was not a fit man and his white shirt was drenched with sweat, see-through in places. Despite that, his teeth were bared in a wary smile. He seemed to find some confidence in the gun he pointed at her.

"Pulling a weapon on a police officer," she noted. "You're not convincing me of your innocence."

"You burst in here and threaten me? I think I'll be okay. Your organisation – your stupid band of troublemakers – aren't even a unit anymore. I already signed the papers. You've been disbanded." Warren snatched something off the table and tossed it at her. Papers flew in every direction, the file hardly the most aerodynamic of things. Even so, he pointed his gun at it. "Go on. Pick it up. Read it."

Slowly, Yang did so. She kept her eyes on him the whole time but fell to one knee and picked up the main file, opening it to read the first page. Or the at least the title.

"Only two signatures. Yours and Lady Celeste's."

"The Council only needs a majority to pass a motion. The other Councillors didn't attend the meet."

"Funny that. One might think they were busy trying to stop this senseless massacre. You know, doing their jobs."

"We all work in our own ways," Warren snapped. "Now, put the gun down. You're not licensed to hold one. Nor to be here. It would be a shame if I felt threatened and defended myself."

Yang scowled and tossed the gun onto the floor.

Warren laughed. "Good. And your badge, Xiao-Long. You don't need it anymore."

Angrily, she tore the badge from her chest and threw it on the desk.

"What not?" she asked. "You're still running. Don't you think that's going to send the wrong kind of message?"

"It's not really your business anymore, girl. You're no longer Captain of the VSPR. There no longer _is_ a VSPR. You're just a teenage girl out of her depth."

"An angry teenage girl," Yang pointed out. The tell-tale signs of a grim smile started to appear on her face. "An angry teenage girl who no longer has the law to hold her back. Or a reputation she needs to protect."

Warren hesitated.

"If you knew me as well as my team does, you'd know that's a bad thing."

He squeezed the trigger.

The bullet slammed into the wall above Yang's head. She ducked down and rushed forward, catching his desk with both hands and shoving it back. Assisted with her strength, and the force from her robotic arm, it slid across the floor as if it were on skates, slamming into Warren's legs and pinning him against the wall.

"You- Argh!" He cried out as her fist caught his cheek. Yang leapt atop the desk, crouched, her robotic arm closing over the hand holding a weapon and _squeezing_. Bones gave way and cracked, Warren dropping the gun with a high-pitched, "Aieeee!"

"Your first mistake was causing us problems," Yang growled, grabbing his collar. She slammed her forehead into his nose, breaking it. "Your second mistake was shacking up with the White Fang and being a part of this massacre." Pulling him out, heedless of how much he screamed as his legs were dragged past the desk pinning him, Yang hurled Warren across the room.

He landed hard, all fat and no grace, bouncing once before he curled in on himself. His eyes caught something – her gun nearby – and he wormed his way towards it on hands and knees.

Yang's foot caught his left arm, knocking it aside and dropping him on his face. "Your third mistake," she said, pushing him over with one foot. "Was making it so that I'm no longer bound to follow rules, procedures and the law." She crouched low, atop him, eyes flashing red. "Because all of a sudden, I can't seem to remember why I'm supposed to keep you alive."

"Y-You can't," he gasped.

"Yeah? You think so? You willing to bet your life on it?"

"You shouldn't," he quickly amended. "H-How do you think this will look on you?"

"Hundreds are dead, Warren. Maybe thousands." Yang sneered down on him. "I think I'll be okay. You? You should be grateful for this mercy."

Warren's face twisted, but for a second the fear vanished, replaced with smug satisfaction. "Arrogant children shouldn't play games they're not prepared for."

A vase smashed on the back of Yang's head.

The pain was agonising, the force enough to knock her aside and off Warren. The attack came without warning so she hadn't pushed her aura to her head, though she rectified that a second later – which saved her when another vase came down, shattering over her skull. Through eyes that stung with tears, Yang glared at the woman who had somehow snuck up behind her.

"Good job, Celeste," Warren panted, pushing himself up. He staggered, catching himself on his desk, before he reached down to pick up Yang's weapon.

"We need to leave, Warren," the woman said, eyes ice cold. "Vale is doomed. I have a Bullhead ready."

"You won't get away with this," Yang snarled.

"Get away with what?" Celeste asked demurely. "It only makes sense for those in command to leave when the city is on the verge of collapse. We can better aid the recovery effort from outside the city, directing supplies and the rebuilding effort. We're not abandoning the city, my dear. We're _recreating_ it."

"Don't waste your time with her," Warren spat. He stalked over, one hand holding his nose. "She won't be around to see it. Or to cause any more problems. The White Fang have already done all the heavy lifting. Once the Virus falls from the Centrox Tower, the city will be brought to its knees. They'll need strong leaders. Strong rulers."

"You're already on the Council, you bastards."

"Answering to others, and to that fool, Ozpin. You wouldn't understand. I'm not about to waste time discussing my motives with you. Goodbye."

A distant explosion rocked the room. The whole city, even. It was followed with more, one after another, and the sound of something collapsing down with a horrendous crash.

Warren looked out the window. "What the fu-"

Yang's legs swept his out from under him. Another gunshot went high as he fell, fired without thought. Celeste fell with an agonised cry, clutching her stomach. She dropped her own weapon. Warren cursed and tried to bring his gun back around, but Yang was on him in a second.

Her hand caught the gun by its barrel, squeezing and crushing it with inhuman force. Warren still pulled the trigger, but the dust had nowhere to go. It erupted outwards. Metal warped and exploded, sending shrapnel flying. Warren's fingers were sheared off and he screamed.

Yang shut him up with her fist.

Once. Twice. Three times she drove it down, until he stared back up at her through hazy eyes, blood running from his nose and mouth. It wasn't enough. Not for everything he'd done. Not for all the people the White Fang had killed. And for what? Personal gain? Reputation? At least the Fang had their twisted fucking ideology. It was wrong, but at least they _thought_ they were doing the right thing.

Standing, Yang hauled the man up and threw him back onto his own desk. The briefcase slid off, money and papers flying everywhere.

Her badge fell off the desk, too. It clattered to the floor.

She didn't pick it up.

The badge came with responsibility. Restraints. Rules. It represented everything she _should_ do, which right now was the last thing on her mind. She picked up a shard of broken pottery instead, one that snapped free when Celeste attacked her from behind. It was razor sharp.

"For crimes against Vale and the people who live here, I find you guilty." She stalked around the desk, pinning Warren down with her cybernetic arm. "Do you have anything to say in your defence, Coppersmith?"

His wide eyes stared up at her. "You can't do this!"

"Oh, I can."

The shard came down.

"YANG!"

She froze.

There was a man in the doorway, one hand on the frame. He was dressed in full black, with a black mask – glass-fronted and round, like a dome – that covered his entire had. His black jacket was obviously military grade and he wore a black coat over it. He was heavily armed. She didn't recognise him.

Realising it, the man reached up and tore his mask off, throwing it aside.

Yang's eyes widened. "Oobleck!?"

"Good evening, Miss Xiao-Long," her history professor quipped. "Or Captain Xiao-Long, I suppose. Vincent said you'd be here. I'm glad to see I arrived in time."

Questions swirled in her mind, but Oobleck's intention was clear. He was a witness, not to mention a teacher – no matter what he was dressed like. Yang snarled and stepped behind Warren, putting him between them in case Oobleck tried to stop her. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from making a terrible mistake."

"There's no mistake here. These two helped the White Fang. They're the reason this attack happened!"

"I know. I understand that. But it does not give you the right to judge them, Miss- Yang," he said. He brought his hands up, gloved but empty. "They must be tried for their crimes. They need to face justice and be punished."

"Y-Yes," Warren cried. "Stop her. She can't kill me!"

"Justice!? Justice!?" Yang's voice rose. She slammed her other hand down, choking Warren so he couldn't speak. "Look at what they've done! Look at how many they've killed! People trusted them to do what was best and they didn't. Where's the justice in that?"

"Nowhere to be found. And that's the problem," Oobleck said calmly. "Justice is an elusive creature. All too often, those deserving of it receive none, and time and time again those truly guilty escape it. But it's the responsibility of people like you, Yang, to seek it. To hunt it. To _enforce_ it, no matter how powerful, no matter how influential the perpetrator." Oobleck took a step forward, though he kept his hands up before him. "But to see those who do wrong brought to justice? That fills people with hope. Your role is to bring hope to the city. Something we have so little of. Something that the people will need more than ever now." He stopped, ten or so feet away. "Don't steal that from those who need it, Yang. Not for revenge. You're better than that. Better than them."

Better…? Yang didn't feel better. She felt angry. Confused. Stressed.

But more than anything, she felt tired. Exhausted, even.

Her eyes strayed to Celeste, whimpering on the floor, barely moving. And then to Warren, beaten and bleeding, unable to escape. Finally, to Oobleck, stood before her in a uniform she barely recognised, looking not at all like the fast-speaking teacher he claimed to be.

"What if they get away with it?"

Oobleck's smile was grim. "They won't."

It was the most painful thing she'd ever done, taking a step back. The shard fell from her fingers, dripping with her own blood from where she'd gripped it too tight. Oobleck nodded and stepped past her, bringing out some unusual-looking cuffs, which he snapped onto Warren's hands. He called out and three other people entered the room, each dressed as he was, their faces hidden by domed helmets with clear fronts. They gave her a wide berth, one even stepping out of the room so she could get past.

Broken glass crunched underfoot as she walked away, back down the corridor, past unconscious guards she'd brought down, their weapons scattered across the corridor, evidence of the warpath she'd been on.

Eventually, she stepped outside, back into the warm sunlight. The city was a mess. A great plume of smoke came from where the Centrox Tower once stood. More came from fires across the city, and Bullheads buzzed through the air like angry wasps, occasionally pausing, disgorging people on ropes that came down, or in some cases having huntsman dive out with no regard for their safety. Slumping, she sat on the steps at the front of the building. If Roman were here, she'd have asked him for a cigar.

The footsteps that came up behind her weren't his. Oobleck stepped past her, then turned and sat down, his shoulders touching hers. He brought up a metallic flask. "Drink? It's whiskey."

Yang accepted it and took a swig.

"The city will recover," Oobleck said. "It looks bad now, but it's been this bad before. Both with Cinder, and with Mountain Glenn. Never underestimate the ability of people to keep moving on. It'll always surprise you."

"What are you?" Yang asked.

"Me? I'm a teacher. Though I'll still ask you call me _Doctor_ Oobleck, thank you very much."

"You work with Vincent."

Oobleck chuckled. "It would be more accurate to say he works with me. Or for me. I must say, he always speaks well of you, Yang, even if he did have some complaints on how you treated him. It's not everyday he's tied to a woman's bed. Let alone by said woman's uncle."

Yang snorted. "He got over it. So, what does that make you?"

"A concerned citizen. A huntsman trying to protect the city. No more or less than you, really. More than anything, I hope it makes me a friend."

A friend, huh? Guess that was what Vincent meant about the whole `friend` thing. It didn't really matter. She was done and any doubts to Vincent, Oobleck and their little group pretty much didn't matter. They'd helped her deal with the White Fang base, and if she read the situation right, they were also out there trying to protect the city.

Oobleck took back his drink and sipped at it himself, before he put it away and brought something else out. "You dropped this. I thought I'd return it."

Her badge. It glinted in Oobleck's palm.

"Haven't you heard? The VSPR is no more." It hurt to look at it, so Yang didn't. "Even assuming the Council looks at the bill again, they didn't want the VSPR around the first time. Now with the White Fang gone, they have even less reason to put up with us. People want someone to blame. I'm sure the Council will jump at the chance to throw my team back behind bars."

"They might," Oobleck said. He leaned forward and Yang stiffened for a moment. She didn't stop him when he affixed the badge to her left breast, however. Or above it. He was careful. "But I think that after all you've done, it would not be in the city's best interests to tear you down. I have a particular interest in what is best for the city. You could say it's my job to keep an eye on it."

"And you think that'll be enough to overturn this?"

"Let's just say a friend wouldn't leave another in trouble. We repay our debts, Captain."

Yang snorted. She couldn't bring herself to feel surprised.

"Doesn't sound very fair of you, making up their minds for them."

"Life isn't always fair. You know that better than most. People will get over it. They'll have two traitors to take their anger out on thanks to you."

"Assuming you can pin anything on them. They're both powerful, not to mention rich and influential. They can spin this. They'll have the best lawyers on the job, not to mention favours owed to them." Yang sighed. "Maybe you're right and killing them wasn't the right thing to do, but justice? I'm not sure they'll get it. They've already destroyed all the evidence that might have incriminated them."

Oobleck laughed. "My dear, I said that they would _face_ justice. Not that they would receive it. Any court we put them through will be _anything_ but fair." Oobleck's eyes met hers and he smiled grimly. "After all, they're guilty by their own admission. At this point, all a fair trial does is give them a chance to escape the consequences of their actions."

So, they wouldn't get one. Yang tried to be the police Captain she was supposed to be and dislike that. She found she couldn't.

"You know, I should probably arrest you for saying that."

"You probably should." He offered his flask again. "Another drink?"

She took it with a nod. "Thanks."

It was done. The White Fang, Emerald, Adam, the Fang Virus and now the Council. All of it was done, with all that remained being to clear the gas that remained and bring the people to safety. Yang took a deep breath and looked out over the city.

Through all the grime, smoke and fire, it was somehow still beautiful.

* * *

 **Cameo von Bameo. Hello Oobleck. To those who have mentioned it, yes, the VSS was here, and no, they won't be appearing in every fic ever. The cameo made** _ **sense**_ **here, given the VSPR's stated goal of national security matching that of the VSS. I wanted to show them in an alternative light to In the Kingdom's Service, showing that there are two sides to every story.**

 **They're not going to start cropping up in any other fics. After all, they're a secret organisation. Wouldn't be very good at that if everyone noticed.**

* * *

 **Final Chapter: 28** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**We're here at last.**

* * *

 **Cover Art:** Jack Wayne

 **Chapter 27**

* * *

Captain Yang Xiao-Long stared down at the coffin before her, an embossed black box that felt all to small and final. On it lay a picture showing their fallen member, his cocky smile immortalised. They didn't have any pictures of him without it. That was just the way he was and they wouldn't have had it any other way.

Inside, all that remained were two metallic legs and a scorched badge.

Yang laid her hand on the coffin. "I didn't tell you to come back alive because it was implied, you bastard. When I see you again, I'm going to kick your ass for that."

It didn't feel like it was enough to say. What could you say to someone who had died just like that? What was there left to do? Yang's throat caught, and she took a step back, allowing the others a chance to step forward and say their own farewells.

Mercury's funeral was a small and intimate thing. Perhaps when more news was released, and the public found out what happened, they'd clamour for a larger one, a state funeral. She wasn't sure. Even if they did, Yang wouldn't attend it. They didn't know Mercury. Not the real him. They would be celebrating his death and the good he did with it, but it would be the same people who clamoured for his imprisonment or death before. Yang wanted nothing to do with them.

The only ones who attended were the VSPR, battered and bruised, Qrow, silent on the outskirts, and her old team who stood pensively nearby, unsure what to say. They'd dressed in black regardless, even if they couldn't feel the same loss for Mercury.

More than anything, they were just there to support her.

"You were right," she heard Junior mutter as he slapped some lien down atop the coffin. "Zombie apocalypse. You were right, you crazy son of a bitch."

Yang smiled and stepped away, leaving each to their privacy.

The VSPR HQ hadn't yet been repaired and wouldn't be for a few days. Oobleck was as good as his word, the VSPR being reinstated before the smoke had even settled. They were to have a new budget, new equipment, easier recruitment opportunities and full pardons for each member. Yang had laughed when one came through for her. Most people seemed to think she was as criminal as the rest.

Mercury was being buried on-site. No graveyard would probably want him, and the team didn't want the exposure from other people, let alone the public who kept looking for information on what happened. This was their moment with him. No one else mattered.

Ruby stepped forward when Yang came close. "Yang…"

"I'm fine." She wasn't, but she would be. Given some time. "Thanks for coming. I know you only knew him as a terrorist…"

"That doesn't mean we can't respect him for what he became," Weiss said. She wore a black hat with a veil to hide her pale features. "Given what the others are saying, he sounds like quite the character. You'll have to tell us all about him."

Yang recognised the excuse to get her talking and comfort her. She smiled and nodded back. The dress uniform she wore felt stuffy, especially over her robotic arm. It was more fit for a parade than a funeral.

"Thanks. There's a lot to tell."

"What happens now?" Weiss asked.

"Hard to say. The Council is focused on sending the Coppersmiths down." And they'd better. Yang wouldn't accept anything less than that. "Then, they'll be busy rebuilding. I guess the VSPR will move onto normal crimes, or maybe some other group will try and take advantage of the chaos and we'll be called to stop them. We'll just have to see."

"Not that," Weiss said. "I meant with you. With us."

Of course that was what she meant. Yang sighed. "I don't know, Weiss. Right now, I'm just not sure."

"I'm sorry!"

Yang turned. It was Blake who blurted it out, eyes scrunched shut and hands clenched into fists. Her partner – her ex-partner – took deep breaths, chest rising and falling.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Sorry for what…?"

"For doubting you. For lying to your face. For pretending I had the right to decide what was best for you. For… For everything."

The apology was a long one in coming and yet Yang felt no pleasure at it. Maybe she wasn't supposed to, but she'd held out for this. Expected some vindication. Blake was always stubborn. It might have been because of her past, because she'd made mistakes with the White Fang and thus couldn't accept that she might again, for they might have the same consequences.

That stubbornness had pissed Yang off to no end. Why then, did the long-awaited apology do nothing to lighten the weight on her chest? Was it because she didn't believe it? No. Blake was obviously contrite. Maybe it just didn't matter anymore.

Or maybe she'd found bigger things to concern herself with. At the end of the day, what did an argument between schoolchildren matter? Yes, she'd hated them for what she saw as her team turning on her, but they hated the fight that came from it too. They'd argued, spat and she'd even slapped Blake in a fit of Fang-induced rage. Looking back, it was childish. Understandable, but so very childish.

Did she regret joining the VSPR? No.

Did she regret the distance between her and her old team? Yes.

So, what was the point in holding a grudge? Why bother when there was already so much more to feel miserable about?

Yang held her good arm out. "Come here, you."

Blake, ever-reluctant and untouchable Blake, practically moulded into her side, hugging her desperately while Yang wrapped her one arm around the girl's shoulder. She'd normally have had to ambush Blake to get a hug like this, but they both needed it right now. Yang sniffled a little, and if Blake heard it she chose not to point it out. It wasn't the fight that brought the tears on, of course. Just the reminder of the VSPR's loss.

Team RWBY closed in around her, hugging her from every direction. It just so happened to coincide with Mercury's coffin being lowered down into the ground. Or maybe that wasn't such a coincidence, after all.

Yang hid her tears in her teammate's hair.

/-/

"This is Kevin Ambrose of Vale4 News. Today, we discuss repair efforts across the city, but first – an update on the attack which rattled the city. Over to you, Samantha."

"Thank you, Kevin. And we have news just in. Following the White Fang attack, and investigation by the authorities, two members of the Vale Council have been implicated in working alongside the White Fang, providing vital information and resources that led to the death of thousands."

"Celeste Coppersmith and her husband Warren Coppersmith have been formally named as suspects, and both remain in protective custody at this time. Details are sketchy at this time, but we have received unsubstantiated reports that the Coppersmiths rerouted funds to White Fang extremists while also ensuring security systems were pointed away from key areas of attack. In addition, the Coppersmiths are accused of being complicit in terrorist attacks, appropriation of public funds and also mis-use of power in a public office."

"The suspects are expected to face an expedited trial in the coming weeks and based on analysis from our team of legal experts, the case is being labelled `little more than a formality`. Conservative estimates put the expected sentence at a lifetime, but if the courts allow for the Coppersmiths to be judged for each death, they may face consecutive life sentences which could see them granted no hope of parole."

"Headmaster of Beacon and current Acting Head of the Vale Council, Ozpin, had the following to say;

 _"We have faced much in this short time. The criminal, Cinder Fall, attempted to bring Vale to its knees during the Vytal Festival. Now, Adam Taurus and the White Fang with the aid of allies within our own Council, sought to do the same. Through the brave actions of our huntsmen and huntresses, our emergency services, the police, and so many more, this cruel attack failed."_

 _"Though many have fallen, we must remember them with fondness, and remember that their greatest wish would be for us to push on, to survive and to prove to the White Fang and all that might desire the fall of Vale that we will remain strong. That we will remain united. In these troubling times, I must also ask for understanding. Given what the White Fang has done, it would be easy to lash out at all who share their similarities. Please remember that there are many among our emergency services who are also faunus, and yet who fought and died to protect us, human and faunus alike."_

 _"In times such as these, solidarity is our greatest asset."_

"Wise words, don't you think, Kevin?"

"Indeed, Samantha. Official numbers on the fallen are still being compiled, but conservative estimates put the toll at well over three and a half thousand, all told. Our very own Vale4 News has received its own interest as well, with many claiming that the unsanctioned broadcast with VSPR member, Lisa Lavender, provided valuable information that saved hundreds of lives."

"And the VSPR itself, Kevin. Through footage disseminated online and from witness accounts, VSPR members engaged the terrorist leader, Emerald Sustrai, and White Fang Commander Adam Taurus, dispatching of both and raising the alarm. For more on that, we go to analyst and historian, Bartholomew Oobleck of Beacon Academy, to hear his thoughts on the attack."

"Thank you, Samantha. It's a pleasure to be here."

"So Oobleck, as an unbiased expert working in the field, what do you think of the charges placed against Warren and Celeste Coppersmith?"

"Well, I wouldn't call myself completely unbiased…"

/-/

"For actions granted, both within and without the line of duty, including operations that severely impacted the White Fang's ability to wage a war of terror on Vale, and also actions that later resulted in the prevention of a weapon capable of destroying the entire city, I, with the authority granted to me as acting head of the Council, do hereby extend operations for the Vale Special Police and Recon unit, codifying your charter into Vale Law."

Ozpin somehow managed to keep his smile on the polite side of smug as he stepped forward and held a folder out to Yang. Although another would be kept by the council, to go down to the archives, this one would hang in the VSPR's main HQ.

Yang wasn't sure if this was Oobleck's influence or not – but there was no hiding her proud smile as she took it, along with the wooden case that contained numerous medals to be granted out to her team – and one for Mercury, which she would see set into his gravestone if she had to. Woe betide any fucker who tried to steal it. They'd be lucky to take a shell to the head.

"Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me, Captain Xiao-Long. If anything, I should be thanking you." Ozpin clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You've earned this. And more, I dare say." He turned her around and stood beside her. "Smile for the cameras now."

Yang pulled a cheesy grin, ignoring the bright flashes of the associated press outside the main council building. The very same one she'd sat on the steps of a week ago, lamenting the nightmares that had struck the city. The signs of the attack were still there, and normally she'd hate to do anything like this, but as Ozpin said, people needed hope. The best thing she could do to help right now was smile, look pretty and let people feel happy over reading an article or seeing her on the news. If her presence made them feel safe, all the better.

"The paperwork includes pardons for all those under your command," Ozpin said. "I'd thought it would be more difficult to swing, but after they risked their lives to stop the White Fang, the Council practically _balked_ at the idea of them going back to prison."

"More likely they balked at the thought of what the public opinion would be…"

"Perhaps, but the results are still the same."

So, she shouldn't begrudge them, she supposed. Ozpin was right. This would let the VSPR persist after her and grant her team the freedom they deserved. There was a pardon for Mercury too, of course. Not like he'd have cared for it.

"You have a lot of good will with the Council now, Yang. Is there anything else you'd like to see pushed through?"

"Well, the HQ _is_ a little… uh… _perforated_. And exploded," she added. "It may also have some structural issues."

"I'm sure we can swing a little more budget your way," Ozpin said indulgently. "It wouldn't do for our protectors to be without supplies, after all. I've even lifted the restriction on the recruitment of criminals, so you can start to take on more members if you wish."

"Can I have Uncle Qrow?"

"Qrow is my agent," Ozpin said.

"Hm. We'll see…"

She _did_ have the twins, after all. The easiest way to a man's heart was through his crotch.

"I think the bigger question is what do _you_ want, Yang?" Ozpin asked. "When you first came to me, you longed to return to Beacon, and while I shall admit to manipulating you a little, it is only because I knew you would be perfect for this role. The city needed you. We needed you."

"And I'm fine with that. I don't hold any ill will."

He nodded graciously. "Thank you. Still, the threat is over and right now, I would grant you whatever it is you desired. You've more than shown you're capable of being a huntress once more. And now that you have accepted your weaknesses," he nodded to her arm; her cybernetic arm, "And learned to work around them, any complaints I might have had are assuaged."

Yang flexed the arm Ironwood had granted her. It wasn't hers, not really, but she found that she didn't care too much about that anymore. The handicap didn't define her, and now that she didn't balk at the idea of wielding the cybernetic, it didn't inconvenience her, either.

Now, if Neo would stop sneaking up and using her elbow as a bottle opener, that would be appreciated, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"All this time I kept thinking about how I had to get back to Beacon and my team," Yang said. "It was all I thought about. But now… I'm not sure. My team will be _devastated_ if I drop out. They'll understand, but I know they'll blame themselves for it."

"But you also do not wish to leave the VSPR," Ozpin finished.

Yang shrugged uncomfortably. She'd _made_ the VSPR what it was now. She'd fought, bled and nearly died with them. And more than that, she was proud of what they'd achieved together. Sure, they were crooks and criminals – and not even the pardons would change that. They _liked_ what they did – but at the same time, they were family.

Fucked up, twisted and annoying as all hell family, but family nonetheless.

Ozpin smiled indulgently, "If I may, how about a compromise?"

Yang's attention perked up.

/-/

Two months.

That was all the time it took for the Coppersmiths to be found guilty – Oobleck's evidence weighing down on them and crushing all attempts to extend, delay or have the case thrown out. It was also the amount of time it took for the city to return to normality, for the loss and the grief to fade into memory, and for people to stop looking over their shoulders at any moment.

If that weren't enough, it was also the amount of time it took for the White Fang to formally disband. Adam's attack was deemed too violent, even by the standards of many faunus. Support dwindled at an incredible rate. Menagerie moved against its own, declaring the White Fang a criminal organisation. Most of their members had disbanded, those who would not, fighting to the last. In his own way, Adam destroyed the White Fang. Fitting.

Two months was also the length of time it took Yang to fully regret her choice as she struggled with the Beacon uniform, shrugging off her Captain's jacket, which caught on her robotic arm, as she shouldered the door to the foyer aside.

"Waheeeey!" Roman cat-called, whistling.

"Oi, that's my fucking niece!" another voice growled. "Yang, what have I told you about stripping in the foyer?"

"Shut up!" Yang growled. She managed to drag the jacket off and toss it aside, ignoring the fact she was topless but for a bra, and pulled on the white shirt, buttoning it up quickly. A check at the clock on the wall told her she was unacceptably late. If only that stupid asshole hadn't resisted arrest, she wouldn't be in this situation. "Damn it! Where's my taxi?"

"It got bored of waiting and left," Miltia said.

"What!? Why didn't you tell him to stay?"

"I did. Even pointed a gun at him. It just made him drive away faster."

"You… You…" Yang made vague strangling motions towards Miltia, who hid behind Qrow, hands draped around his shoulder and over his chest. Her Uncle wasn't even a part of the VSPR, for all that mattered. He was here pretty much every day, and typically attached to one or both of the Malachite twins. Lecherous old man. "Ugh. Fuck it. I give up."

"Ahem," Qrow coughed meaningfully. He shot her a stern look.

"What? You don't get to play all disapproving uncle when you're currently being molested by _two_ of my employees. Do you even have a job, or do you just lounge here for free food, beer and attention?"

"Hey now, that's cruel." Qrow did, however, take a drink of _their_ beer. "And you're not saying `fuck it` to school. Education is important."

"But I already have a job. And it pays more than yours."

"Okay, one; ouch, and two; no buts. Or I'll tell your father."

"Ugh, fine." Yang leaned back over the couch. "Junior, be a dear and get the Bullhead ready."

"Sure thing," the older man called, still behind his bar. "Want a strawberry sunrise before you go?"

Uncle Qrow shot her another disapproving look, but Yang nodded regardless. The cocktail was mixed and sent her way and she sipped on it daintily, lounging on the couch while the others enjoyed their free time. If the city needed them, someone would call.

"Why is she here anyway?" Yang asked, indicating the currently sloshed and steadily-getting-drunker Lisa Lavender sat on the couch next to hers, half-drooping, half-unconscious on Mark. She was downing drinks like her life depended on it. "I thought she got her job back in the news industry after her name was cleared."

"She did," Roman said. "Unfortunately, she was sent to report on a hostage situation yesterday and lost her job. Brighter news, no hostage situation remains and all were saved."

Yang made an understanding sound. "Ah."

Lisa, having heard her name being mentioned, began to cry sloppily. "S'not fair. They said journalists comment on the news; they don't `make the news`, like I had a choice." She snorted and rubbed her nose on Mark's collar, earning a disgusted sound from the faunus. "S'not my fault they didn't hold their hostages properly. S'not my fault I hit that guy and he got concussion. S'not my fault all the crooks here are pussies…" She began to cry again, downing another drink while Mark awkwardly patted her back. "Why do they make cr-crimi-criminimisms," she paused to concentrate. "Why they so fragile!?"

"Riiiight…" All of those things _did_ sort of sound like Lisa's fault, but on the bright side, that was a hostage situation the VSPR didn't have to sort out. "Well, looks like Lisa is back on the team."

"At least for another week anyway. Isn't this the third new station she's been kicked off of? They keep having to put disclaimers for graphic content before her segments." Roman laughed and nudged Lisa's foot with his. "Not sure why you don't just give it up and join us full-time."

"But I wanna be a journalistttt-" Lisa broke into drunken tears.

Yang sighed. "Thank you, Roman." There was a faint pop and a hiss beside her and she looked over in time to see Neo give her a thumbs up, having cracked open a bottle with the use of her arm once more. "I hate you guys."

"Nah, you love us," Roman said. "Not sure why, but you do. Wouldn't be here otherwise."

"More fool me."

The roar of turbines blasted through the open windows of the VSPR foyer as a pitch-black military Bullhead touched down in the parking lot, drawing shocked stares from some local pedestrians, and an odd lack of anything more from the locals. Those who lived nearby were frankly used to the insanity by now, and probably pleased to be living in an area of Vale that boasted the lowest levels of recorded crime. Yang had two words to attribute to the success of that; police brutality. Although maybe it could have been shortened to one; Neo.

"Right then, I'm off," Yang called, downing the rest of her cocktail and slamming the glass down. She snatched up her homework en route, slapped Melanie around the back of the head before she could start tonguing her Uncle – ewww – and hopped out the door. The frankly ridiculously over-equipped Bullhead awaited her, bristling with rockets, miniguns and enough ordinance to level an entire city block.

That it had been relegated to a taxi wasn't even a thing at this point. Yang still had migraines whenever she recalled the meeting she'd had with Police Captain Mira Ash over the time Miltia and Roman took the thing and parked it at the local supermarket to pick up booze, cigarettes and snacks. Yang counted herself lucky she'd come away with just a parking ticket. Or four. They'd parked the damn thing across four spaces.

Insanity. That was the only way to describe the VSPR sometimes.

But she wouldn't – couldn't – give it up.

Maybe that made her insane, too.

Probably.

Pausing before she climbed in, Yang struck a quick salute to Mercury's marker, still displaying his golden medal embedded in the front. As ever, there was a bouquet of flowers at its base, along with an opened bottle of beer. Yang had a feeling Mercury would approve of the shenanigans going on now. Crazy bastard that he was.

With a final grin, Yang climbed into the co-pilot's seat. "I've got five minutes to get to class. Think you can handle it?"

"No. But that's no reason not to try, eh?"

Junior gunned the engines.

/-/

"Where is she?" Ruby asked, biting her nails. She was sat in Oobleck's classroom between Weiss and Blake, with Team JNPR a little to the side. Though there was still a minute or two remaining, the classroom was filling up and Doctor Oobleck was already behind his desk. "She's late again."

Weiss sighed. "Ruby, she's _always_ late nowadays. I'm not sure why this is a surprise to you anymore."

"She'll make it," Blake said. "She always does."

Ruby wasn't so sure, and as the final students filed in, noticeably without Yang, she groaned. The doors closed and Oobleck coughed to draw attention to himself, opening his mouth to begin the lesson.

Right as wind battered the windows nearby and a fully armed attack-Bullhead settled down in front of them, pointing its not-inconsiderable armaments directly at the class. Ruby's mouth fell open, her feet rooted to the floor despite the fact her brain was telling her to run. There was a nervous murmur among the class as no one quite knew what to do.

The Bullhead's left door cracked open, a figure visible past the tinted black windows. Weiss groaned, and Ruby did a second later when Yang hopped out, inadvertently giving everyone a free show as her school skirt flapped upwards as she fell. There was a thump as she hit the floor outside the windows, followed by a quick thump-thump-thump and a _clack_ as she pushed a door open and entered the school.

The Bullhead took off a moment later, rushing away and leaving the class behind with an odd sense of having just avoided death.

At the front, Oobleck sighed patiently.

The door to the classroom slammed open a second later, Yang appearing with a wide smile that faltered somewhat when she realised that not only was class in session, but everyone was now staring at her.

"Miss Xiao-Long. So nice of you to join us."

"Eheh… um…"

"And do you have an excuse for being so late to class?"

"Well, there was a shootout on Walker Street last night we got called to, and then we had to bust a drugs nest – and I had to convince Roman not to take the drugs as evidence and then sample them all to verify the evidence. And then there might have been a domestic incident in the apartment next to mine and I had to go sort that out, drag the guy back to the precinct, question and lock him up. He resisted. I _unresisted_ him. Processed his charges. This was about six in the morning, by the way, and by the time that was done I had to get ready for school. Oh, and the taxi didn't wait."

"Hence the near-death experience you just put us through," Oobleck finished for her, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really need to stop asking if you have an excuse for tardiness. It only depresses me further that you do each and every time."

"It's a busy city out there."

"Quite. Get to your seat."

Yang grinned unrepentantly and skipped over to sit down between Ruby and Blake, pushing her partner aside. Weiss sighed dramatically her eyes while Blake smirked and rolled her eyes. Ruby was less reserved, pinching her sister's arm.

"Yang! You can't do that!"

"What?"

"You just flew a Bullhead into Beacon. Not to mention being late, scaring us half to death and then flashing everyone on the way down. Dad will freak!"

"At which bit?"

Much to Ruby's frustration, more the latter than the other two. "Not the point. You—Is that alcohol I smell?"

Yang looked away, covering her mouth with one hand. "No?"

"Yang!"

"Miss Rose," Oobleck called, silencing her. Ruby winced as all attention was drawn to her. "While I'm sure you're pleased to have Miss Xiao-Long join us once more, and eager to hear what cases she has been working on, I'll urge you to pay attention to the lesson at hand and not gossip among yourselves. Am I understood?"

Ruby wilted. "Yes sir…"

"Yeah Ruby," Yang teased quietly. "Talk about rude."

Ruby glared back at her.

"Now," Oobleck continued, "Before I was so rudely interrupted. I was informing you all that we have a special treat today which will tie in nicely with our recent lessons on the White Fang, related, of course, to the incident which struck the city not two months back. Ozpin even took the liberty of arranging a guest speaker for us who will be able to give a first-hand insight into how the city's emergency services handled the incident. Please, will you all give a hand for… for…" Oobleck froze, staring down at the piece of paper in his hand. He looked incredibly old for a second, and also incredibly annoyed. "Ozpin, why…?"

For the second time, the doors slammed open, but this time it was not one, but multiple people who strode in.

No. Strode was too strong. They sauntered, staggered – and in one case, were half-carried into the classroom. There were a few giggles, some whispered murmurs and a fair share of pointing. Ruby, for her part, simply slapped a hand to her face.

"Hello hello, runtsmen and runtresses!" Roman Torchwick bellowed. "True heroes, coming through. Hey look, it's Red!" Ruby groaned and tried to duck beneath the attention everyone was shooting her way. "Oh, and the boss too. Hey Boss! Wave for the boss, guys." Roman waved. The other members of the VSPR did, too.

Yang sank into her seat, one hand over her eyes.

"Why did Ozpin arrange this without informing me?" Oobleck groaned. "And why is _she_ here at all, currently vomiting on my floor? Last I checked, she wasn't a part of the VSPR."

"She is now," Roman said, unapologetic for Lisa's retching.

"I-I wanna be a journa-zzzz…"

"Eh. You're the medic, Mark. Deal with her."

"That's not my name!"

"This again? You still mad your official pardon and commemorative medal came with `Mark` stamped on it?"

"YES, ACTUALLY! YES, I AM!"

"Suck it up." Roman turned to face the audience, a host of huntsmen and huntresses in training watching them with equal parts bewilderment and awe, and spread his arms wide. "We are the VSPR. The Vale Special Police and Recon Unit. Or, to give us our other name, the biggest damn heroes in this city. Please, contain your orgasms."

"Torchwick…"

Roman rounded on Oobleck. "That's _Lieutenant_ Torchwick, please."

Oobleck looked like he was sucking on a particularly sour lemon. Up in the stands, Ruby, Weiss and Blake turned to stare at Yang, expressions flat and eyes lidded.

"What?" Yang protested. "What do you want from me?"

"Good behaviour?" Weiss quipped.

A pop, a click and a hiss sounded from Yang's elbow. Her cybernetic arm snapped out immediately, pulverising the chair behind her but missing Neo, who danced back with a grin and a bottle of beer, now opened.

"This _is_ them on good behaviour," Yang groaned. "You should see them most days. You get used to it. Or it grows on you. One or the other."

Ruby sighed and sighed again when Torchwick dove into a highly edited and highly exaggerated tale of how he'd single-handedly slapped down mecha-Adam to save Vale and with it, the world. All the while, Lisa Lavender flailed around in her drunken stupor, Mark struggled to offer first aid, Junior napped in a chair provided and Uncle Qrow tried to look intimidating while being molested by two women who couldn't have been that much older than her.

This. This madness was their life now.

"Damn it, Yang…"

* * *

 **Well, that's Captain Dragon for you. Yang opts for distance learning, stays in Beacon, but also with the VSPR – and life falls into a wonderful, complicated mess of madness and shenanigans. Captain Dragon has been fun, even if it's probably one of my least followed and favourited stories. It was nice to have one focused on Yang for a change.**

 **Like I do with every story that finishes, there will be an empty update slot in this one's next date, which allows me a free day to work and plan ahead on the story that will replace this one. However, because this is a fic that comes out once every two weeks, that means the empty slot will be in two weeks, and the NEXT FIC won't come out for four weeks.**

 **I know that's a long time, but I do need that one day off in order to make sure I have the new story planned and sorted out. First chapters are hardest, and I also need to think up things like the story title, summary and whatnot.**

 **I cannot at this time say which story it will be. This is because both this and Kingdom's Service are reaching their end, and I'm not sure which will have an open slot first. I might save Unseen Hunt for the Sunday slot, so it could be a different story that replaces this one. We shall have to wait and see.**

* * *

 **Story Complete. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

 **Next Story: 25** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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